


Zootopia Spirit Chronicles

by Senryo



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Dark, Drama, Fantasy, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-11 21:44:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 92,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7071613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Senryo/pseuds/Senryo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a young wolf who is susceptible to paranormal experiences has a chance encounter with a certain bunny police officer named Judy Hopps and her Fox partner Nick Wilde things will never be the same in Zootopia. Follow our heroes as they try to fight against all odds to save the animals of Zootopia from an unseen force and learn to fight with a new power: Primal Animal Spirits.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Encounter with Fate

**Author's Note:**

> Reposting this on here from my Fanfiction account. Enjoy! Feedback welcomed!

Zootopia – Spirit Chronicles

Chapter 1 – Encounter with Fate

The morning sun shone brightly through the blinds of the room of a certain apartment building. The light agitated the wolf's eyes, making him turn over in his bed to avoid the intruding rays of the sun. He tried to get back to his much-needed sleep, but the alarm clock on his desk had other plans and proceeded to blast his ears with loud obnoxious music as if to say “Get up lazy butt!” Rolling out of bed he fell onto the floor with a thud, managing to take his alarm clock down with him. After turning it off he slowly picked himself off the floor, yawning loudly. 

The wolf that stood up had light brown fur, with a big fluffy tail that stuck out of the tail hole of his boxers. He had dark green eyes that he barely managed to get open as he continued to yawn, making his way to the bathroom to perform his morning routine of showering and brushing his teeth. He inspected himself in front of the bathroom mirror as he brushed his fur. A little on the short side for members of his species, he stood at about 5 feet in height, about one or two heads taller than a fox. As he continued to brush, he sighed heavily while looking at himself. He was skinny and weak compared to most other wolves and would be considered an 'omega' by literally all members of this species. 

Placing the brush down he grabbed a large black dog collar around his neck - an odd fashion choice -but he put it around his neck to hide the severely burned and bruised marks on his neck. It was caused by an accident he had as a small pup, but it had been so long he couldn’t even remember how it even happened. Or rather his mind permanently blocked those memories to prevent emotional and psychological damage. Either way most animals he knew seemed to like him wearing it, and he saw no reason to stop now. Another one of his favorite accessories to wear was a silver necklace with a picture of a wolf's silhouette howling at the moon. He smiled as he put it on; it reminded him of his father who gave it to him as a 'charm' of sorts. His father said it would help him be brave and strong, and while that stuff is inspirational to a small pup, the now jaded adult wolf just used to remember his past.

Grabbing his hooded sweatshirt with a crescent moon graphic on the chest area and brown shorts, he gave himself one more look in the mirror and stepped out of his bathroom. A large collection of video games was scattered across the room from his late-night gaming that made him oh so tired this morning. Walking over to his night stand he grabbed his glasses and cleaned them before putting them on. He grabbed his messenger bag containing his laptop, portable game system, smart-phone, wallet, and some snacks, and headed out the door to go to work. 

The brown-furred timber wolf ran down the stairs, passing by the landlady of the apartment, a small female porcupine named Mary. She was in her mid 50s, but she was both stern and fair with all of her tenants. “Oh my, if it isn't Mr. Alex Lykos! Have a great day today and please keep the noise down at night! I've been getting complaints that there is too much beep boop booms coming from your room!'

He stopped in his tracks and gave a goofy grin back to the landlady. “Sorry ma'am. I'll remember to keep the noise down.” His voice was timid and gentle to the ears; he wasn't the type to raise his voice or get angry easily. Waving goodbye as he rushed out the door, he stepped outside into downtown Zootopia. The area used to be dangerous when he moved in a few years ago but it had been recently renovated as part of a city restoration project, and it had improved a lot in both appearance and safety. 

Alex was a smartphone application programmer by trade. He took on various freelance jobs to make a good living, and more recently he helped to code the wildly popular “Dancing with Gazelle”. It was simple to program but he didn't understand the appeal of pop stars like Gazelle. It was good money so he couldn’t complain too much. Soon he should have enough money saved up to move to a nicer part of the city with a larger room with which to put more video games and other electronics in. Basically Alex was a short timber wolf who was smart, intelligent, and a video game geek, making him the perfect bully magnet when he was younger: a predator that looked like easy prey amongst others of his kind. 

Lost in thought, he wandered through the streets to the bus stop. As he sat on the bench made for larger animals he started to get sweaty. Even though it was a relatively cool day outside, he panted heavily as his tongue was sticking out. He felt like he was hallucinating and starting to see bright lights flickering in the distance, voices whispering dark secrets into his ears. 'Hehehe your soul looks oh so delicious! We are coming for you soon! Teeheheee!' The voices shouted as his view suddenly changed from a normal street with busy traffic to a nightmarish landscape. Rivers of blood covering the streets, bodies of dead animals hanging all around. The air smelled of death, and he couldn't get the smell of blood out of his nose. Suddenly he felt like he was being choked by an invisible force. Struggling to breathe he grabbed a hold of his neck trying to force the air in, coughing in the process. 

“Hey buddy, are you ok?” said a nice and concerned deer in a business suit sitting next to him. Alex was snapped back into reality. Finally able to breathe, he dropped to the ground, his eyes wide in shock and horror as to what just happened. This wasn't the first time this sort of thing happened to him. When he was younger he would get these kinds of “attacks”, but they stopped ever since he moved out on his own. Now a 26-year-old wolf was on the ground gasping for air in broad daylight. He felt so embarrassed. He got up and brushed himself off. Turning to the nice deer he said, “Yes I'm fine sorry!” and proceeded to leave the bus stop to get as far away as possible, not wanting to face the other animals or have them whisper things about what a weirdo he was. He once tried to bring this up to others but no one ever believed him.

He decided to just walk the way, even though it would take longer; he got up early enough that he would still make it on time. Walking along the busy sidewalks he came to a relatively empty street but soon saw a figure walking towards him. It was hard to make out at first but he soon noticed a police uniform and the large hulking canine in it. “Oh crap that can't be him, that jerk from high school...” he muttered under his breath. The wolf was large with jet black fur, yellow eyes, and large fangs used to intimidate others. The other wolf seemed to notice him, much to Alex's displeasure. Grinning as if he found his prey, he walked faster towards Alex. Panicking, Alex decided to duck into a nearby alleyway, but it turned out to be a dead end. “Great this sucks...”

“Well well, if it isn't Alex,” the black-furred wolf said walking towards him, grinning.

“Jake Hunter, since when did they let you into the ZPD?” he questioned backing into the wall. 

“That's Officer Hunter to you, runt! I just graduated recently. I would have been in the news but they had to make a big deal about the first ever fox police officer.” he said in a loud authoritative tone.

Right, the first fox police officer, Alex thought to himself. He couldn’t believe it had been a few months since that savage case occurred. Alex lost a few jobs just because of his species during that time, all because of comments made by the first every bunny police officer Judy Hopps during that news broadcast. Luckily she managed to make up for it by bringing the mastermind to justice and making him and everyone feel safe around each other once more. 

“Well it was nice seeing you again. If you’ll excuse me, I gotta get going,” he said trying to squeeze past him but ended up getting pinned to the wall by the large wolf. Jake was a huge bully back in Zootopia High School. He was a typical predator jock, but he seemed to love picking on Alex and other weaker predators more than the prey species, most likely because he would get away with it more. It would be a big deal to attack a prey species, but no one would bat an eye to a predator species attacking one of their own. This would later develop into a slight phobia for Alex against other large predator species. 

“Sorry shorty... I'm a new cop on the street and you need to pay a little protection money if you want to be safe... can't say what will happen to you if you don't pay up,” said Jake.

“Geez, you must have graduated most likely to be a dirty crooked cop from the Academy,” Alex mumbled under his breath. He gasped to himself. “Oops. I said that out loud, didn't I? Sorry... I didn't mean it.” Alex had picked up a bad habit of keeping his feelings bottled up inside. Sometimes his mind slipped and he said what he felt. This did not make Jake happy in the least. 

“You sure got a mouth on you, runt!” he said, slamming his claws into the wall and barely scraping Alex's cheek. “Just like old times...I'll make you regret being born!”

Closing his eyes, he waited for an impending attack to hit him, but just then he heard a young woman's voice yell. “Stop this right now Officer Hunter!”

The voice was coming from a young female rabbit in an officer’s uniform, her arms crossed angrily and glaring at the offending officer. Her partner Nick Wilde was sitting in the nearby parked police car and eating a red pawsicle, keeping one eye open on Judy as she confronted the other police officer. 

“Oh, sorry, Officer Bunny. I was just saying hello to an old high school friend. I wasn't trying to do anything to him, honest.” Jake said, lying through his teeth to the bunny. 

“That's Officer Hopps to you! That didn't LOOK like a friendly hello. I should report you for misconduct!” she said angrily.

While Jake was distracted, Alex took out his secret weapon against predators: a tiny spray bottle of 'Wolf Away'. He knew one day he would have to use it, even though he was almost starting to get used to being near larger predators. Carefully he opened the cap and sprayed it in the officer's face. But there was one small problem: in his haste the spray bottle was pointed towards himself. A spray of highly pungent odor made to make wolves prone got into his nose, his eyes, and a large amount of his throat. Part of the spray got into the other officer's nose as well, causing him to run shouting, “You'll regret this, Alex!” 

Unable to see or breathe, Alex collapsed to the floor. The bunny officer went over to help him with concern in her eyes. “Are you alright?” she asked kindly. Alex shook his head at the bunny. She frowned and said, “You took a large amount of this 'Wolf Away' spray; let's take you to the hospital just in case. Nick, help me get him in the car! …Nick?”

Judy turned to her partner, only to see him laughing his tail off at what just happened. “What a dumb wolf! Hahahaha! Who ever heard of a wolf carrying 'Wolf Away' spray! This is so funny! Thank god I recorded that on my phone!” Nick said as he played the clip back. 

“Nick! This is serious! He needs medical attention!” Judy said. Alex started to feel numb. The earlier 'attack' and this new one took its toll and he passed out from the pain. “Hey, Mr. Wolf, stay with me! Nick, hurry! He just blacked out!” Judy shouted. Nick quickly stopped the video and put his officer game face on. He put his sunglasses on as he helped Judy take Alex to the hospital.


	2. Parallel World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the officers question the wolf in the hospital something strange happens...

Chapter 2 – Parallel World

Darkness. Everything was covered in black. The wolf felt like he was starting to regain his senses, the sensation returning to his paws and ears. He slowly opened his eyes as a huge light shone through. Taking a bit to adjust to the light, he found himself in a hospital bed. Alex got a feel for his surroundings. It seemed like he wasn't connected to any life support or heart monitor, which was a relief. On the nearby chair were all his belongings and he was still in his normal clothes. Stretching a bit, the only thing he felt was some soreness and a small pain in his neck. Checking his neck he found his collar was missing and was replaced with bandages. At first this freaked Alex out since he didn't want anyone seeing what his neck looked like, but since it was covered with bandages it was a relief. The small desk near his bed had the silver necklace given to him by his father, his eyeglasses, and the collar that once adorned his neck. 

Quickly Alex placed the pendant on his neck, letting out a sigh of relief, and then placed his eyeglasses on as well while putting his collar inside his laptop bag. Just then a nurse walked in, a young female kangaroo wearing a standard white uniform. “Ah poor thing, you are finally awake! Let me go get the doctor!” she exclaimed rushing back out of the room before he had the chance to speak up. He felt fine that he did not need to be in a hospital bed; it should go to another animal who was worse off than he was. Yet he decided to wait for the doctor to come and then hopefully get discharged as fast as possible. Hospitals were one of the worst places to be for him; it was so uncomfortable being around sick animals he couldn’t help but empathize with. Despite the fact that hospitals do amazing deeds and save a lot of lives, he couldn’t help but think more negatively and dwell on the sadder aspects of what it meant to be here. 

The doctor walked in, a large hippo wearing glasses who looked to be in his late 50s, and proceeded to tell the wolf the events that brought him here. Two officers from the ZPD brought him to the ER, and after cleaning and getting rid of any effects the mace had on his body, they concluded that the collapse was from fatigue and not anything out of the ordinary. At first they assumed Alex was choked to near death based on the furless area of his neck covered with bruises and burns, but they concluded that they had been there for a long time and weren’t the cause of the current state that brought the wolf to collapse. 

Right, exhaustion. That's what they would call, it the wolf thought to himself. There was no scientific explanation for suddenly not being able to breathe and having visions of a hell-like landscape in front of him right in broad daylight. There was no way to vocalize that this was the cause of the exhaustion without being put in the mental ward of this hospital either. 

The wolf nodded and explained that the doctor was correct about his neck, also noting that he was told the fur would never grow back for the rest of his life. The doctor gave him a sad understanding look and then concluded that the wolf was checked out and was free to go. As Alex started to get up and get his things, the doctor mentioned that the two officers who brought him here would like to see him and ask him some questions. 

Alex was confused and wondered if those two officers stayed here and waited for him, but looked at the clock on his phone and noted it was already nighttime. He was knocked out for at least eight hours and wasted it sleeping in a hospital. “O...ok, I'll talk to the officers.” The hippo doctor nodded and told him to wait in the room while he got the pair waiting to talk to him. The wolf sat on the bed patiently and soon the familiar rabbit walked in with the fox trailing behind her. In the distance a pair of nurses was laughing. Apparently the fox had shown the nurses or anyone within earshot the video he recorded on his phone of the main cause of the wolf's visit to the hospital. The bunny angrily objected to the fox doing this multiple times but was ignored in the end. 

“Hello! Officer Judy Hopps at your service. This is my partner, Officer Nick Wilde. We are here to ask you a few questions about the incident this morning if you don't mind.” The bunny spoke in a cheerful upbeat voice, holding a carrot shaped pen and a notebook. Alex noted that she and her partner were still on duty in their police uniforms. Nick grinned mischievously as he waved hello to the wolf, trying to hold back from laughing at the sight of the poor wolf. This served to further embarrass the wolf who ignored eye contact with both officers, blushing a bit.

“N-no p-problem!” Alex stuttered a bit, trying to remain calm. He always found it difficult to talk to new animals, especially ones in law enforcement, but mostly those that were generally larger than he was. “Thanks for saving me earlier by the way! My name is Alex Lykos. I’m a smartphone programmer. It's nice to meet you both,” he said timidly as he composed himself. 

“Think nothing of it, klutz! I mean Alex,” said the fox in a sarcastic tone. “C'mon Carrots! Ask away so we can go home already,” Nick said in a tired voice, exhausted from the long day on the job.

“Ignore him. He gets cranky when he's tired, almost like a child,” Judy said, placing emphasis on the last word and turning back to glare at the fox as if to say behave yourself. “Anyway, tell me about what happened with you and Officer Jake Hunter. From what I saw, he seemed like the aggressor. When I questioned him back at the station he reiterated that he was just having a friendly chat, which I don't buy one bit. You seem more like the honest type, so can you tell me what happened?”

“Well...he...was someone I knew from Zootopia High...and he used to...do horrible things to me. I was so happy when I graduated. I felt free. I could finally get rid of him. But for him to turn up as an officer after all these years was a shock. He hasn't changed one bit, and he tried to extort money from me for ‘protection’.”

Nick looked sympathetic as Alex told his side of the story. “Yea. I hear ya. Zootopia High wasn't the greatest place to be. That mess of hormones all in one place is just begging to give anyone mental scars.” 

Judy empathized as well; she had known bullying quite well as a child, after all. She wrote down this information. “Thanks. That makes a bit more sense. I'm going to keep a close eye on this officer, and if he pulls anything funny again I'll see to it that he is kicked off the force. Don't worry!”

“T-thank you!” Alex said nervously. He did not expect a bunny to be so kind to a wolf like him, especially when they had just met. His tail wagged happily as he sat on the hospital bed. 

“But I do have one more question, though. You collapsed soon after you accidentally sprayed 'Wolf Away' at yourself, but that doesn't explain why you went unconscious. I'm worried that something happened to you earlier that you aren't telling us. Did that officer hurt your neck in any way? It's all bandaged up,” Judy said, eyeing the bandages on the wolf.

All of the life soon left Alex's face. His neck was a sensitive subject. He was not going to reveal what was underneath. Even if he did remember how his neck got into such a state, it was probably something he shouldn't share so openly. “This...” he said, pointing to his neck then slowly rubbing the bandage covering it, “This isn't related to what happened. This...isn't relevant...” he said in a monotone voice. His eyes looked lost and vacant as if his subconscious was trying to remember something. 

“Really? But...” Judy said, but was soon stopped when Nick put his paw around her shoulder. 

Nick was able to pick up that it was a sensitive subject and should be avoided, but the investigator within Judy couldn't help but feel like she had to press more. “Carrots, all animals have secrets... anyway, thanks for your time, bud. I think we have everything we need,” Nick said.

Judy looked back at Nick, nodding and accepting defeat while putting away her notes. “Right. That's it. Thank you for your time, Alex.”

The two officers started to walk out of the room. Alex got out of bed to follow suit out of the hospital. Suddenly the room started spinning and a loud voice cackled in his ears. This startled the poor wolf and he let out a small scream. Judy and Nick quickly heard this and turned back to see what had happened. They found Alex clutching his neck, unable to breathe. 

“What's wrong? Alex?! Alex!” Judy said running up to him. “Quick, Nick! Get a nurse!”

Nick nodded and proceeded to exit the room, but the door suddenly slammed and locked from the outside as if preventing escape. Nick tried with all his might but was unable to open the door. “What the heck is going on!?” he shouted, banging on the door to the nurses outside. The nurses heard no noise, however, and seemed to not notice anything out of the ordinary.

From Alex's point of view he saw it very clearly. A red monstrous deer was strangling him. It was larger than normal with blood dripping from its eyes and demon-like horns sticking out of its back. Alex’s claws tried to pry its grip away, but from Judy and Nick's point of view, it looked like he was choking himself. 

Alex felt like he was going to die. Some demon deer was going to kill him and no one would know the truth of his death. This saddened him greatly. He wanted someone...anyone... to save him. He begged and begged, screaming from the depths of his inner being. “H...e...l...p...!” he managed to blurt out.

Just then Judy noticed a shadowy figure grabbing the wolf. It was faint, but she was starting to see it. The lights started flickering wildly; the figure was becoming clearer and clearer to the officers. Judy pulled out her stun gun and Nick pulled out an expandable baton. “Drop the wolf now!” Judy shouted and it took her moments to fire the stun gun, zapping the target directly. Startled, the target dropped his grip and the wolf collapsed to the floor, breathing in much-needed oxygen. 

The room started shaking violently. Cracks started to form as if reality was breaking apart. The trio fell through the cracks forming underneath them and found themselves falling into a new world, a world parallel to reality. The three animals blacked out for a second and awoke moments later in the same hospital room. This time, however, the room looked vacant. Everything was dark, but there were faint lights illuminating the room. 

The wolf, fox, and bunny got up, scared by their surroundings. “Was there a power outage?” Judy exclaimed. “Nick, you have night vision. Go check outside the room.” Meanwhile, Judy reached for her phone to call for backup. “What the…? My phone's dead...”

Alex, having regained the feeling in his neck, got up and checked the repertoire of electronics in his bag. “All my stuff isn't turning on. They were fully charged this morning too.”

Nick was able to open the door quite easily and saw that outside the room was more eerily glowing lights, but it was more brightly lit than in the room, as if there was more outside the room. “Guys, this is spooky, almost like this is a haunted hospital. It reminds me of the haunted house you can find at Wild Times. C'mon! It's brighter out here! Let's try to find out where this is!” Nick gestured, leading everyone outside into the hallway.

One of the orbs of light descended and took the form of a rabbit, but on all fours and without any clothing. It glowed in a bright white light, almost like a spirit. “Wow. I never thought I would see living beings here. I don't remember my name, but I used to be alive in this hospital yesterday. I'm still new here myself, but the others call this place the Spirit World.” The rabbit quickly faded away, almost as fast as it appeared.

Other voices started to ring in their ears. “A place for those who have passed on to find peace to go to the afterlife...”

“A place where murderous lingering spirits who cannot accept their death thirst for revenge.”

“A place not meant for the living! You must flee at once before they find you!”

A look of extreme dread formed on Alex's face. He could see the same look on Judy and Nick's faces as well. His fur stood up on end as he gazed around the room. His eyes started to adjust a bit to the lack of light. Everything was starting to become clearer... the vision he had this morning might have been part of this Spirit World. The monster deer choking him must have been from this place too. So many unanswered questions, and with danger slowly cornering them, Alex, Judy, and Nick must think fast if they wanted to get through this alive.


	3. Awakening the Primal Animal Spirit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start getting intense as an evil spirit tries to destroy the wolf.

Chapter 3 – Awakening the Primal Animal Spirit

The reality they had known all their lives was torn away from them in an instant. Stranded in this so called Spirit World with two animals who he had just met moments ago, the wolf's mind would have shattered in that instant if it wasn't for the young rabbit speaking up and taking charge of this absurd situation as best as she could handle.

“Okay Judy...Get it together... okay, so let's review what just happened so we can try to make sense of this. Alex, this wolf, was the target of two attacks today. One was self-inflicted as he was confronted by that officer, and the other just now was when we saw that figure starting to choke him. It was brief, but we eventually saw that figure and that - whatever it was - was the main culprit of why you collapsed this morning. Now we’re suddenly transported to this world by this supposed main culprit, probably stranded with no hope of escape. Am I getting this right?” Judy said as calmly as she could, her nose twitching and her foot stomping furiously with anxiety.

“You sure are calm, Carrots, for being transported into this so-called Spirit World. None of this makes any sense, but we are experiencing this first hand. We have to accept this no matter how absurd this seems.” Nick was acting calm on the outside, but deep down, he was panicked. His years of experience keeping a straight face and not letting his emotions get to him were showing strong. 

Meanwhile, Alex was shaking, unable to control his body's reaction to his emotions. Alex nodded to Judy's review of the events so far. “Yes, Officer Hopps, that's correct. Sorry, it's just...I...I can't believe it... someone else actually saw it...I'm...not alone in this anymore...” His eyes welled up. He wanted someone, anyone to believe him, and now there were witnesses right in front of him. The wolf began to explain that he could see these visions ever since he was a child, and no one would ever take him seriously. Finally, now that other animals could see it, he could finally get help. If only the situation didn't seem so hopeless. Judy and Nick waited for Alex to calm down, and soon enough, he regained his composure. 

Judy gulped and looked to the boys. “We shouldn't stay here. Let's find a way out of this place. Nick, can you lead the way through these dark hallways? Alex, as officers we will protect you. There isn't anything to worry about, so let's hurry up and find the exit and put this whole experience behind us.” She said it as positively as she could. Alex appreciated the sentiment and nodded in agreement. 

Nick nodded, holding his police baton firmly as he guided everyone through the hospital. The elevator wasn't working, as with all the other electronics, so they had no choice but to take the stairs down. Alex wasn't in the best of shape, and going down ten flights of stairs caused him to start panting heavily while the other two were unfazed by the slight exercise. “Wait, let me...catch my breath....” he said at the bottom of the stairs.

“Gotta get some fresh air and exercise once in a while, four eyes! Let's keep moving! That includes you too, Carrots!” Nick said, showing off his physical prowess to the wolf by jogging in place as the wolf gasped for air. 

“D...Does he have a nickname for everyone?” he asked Judy, panting for air.

“Unfortunately...I’m starting to think he has nothing better to do in his free time than to come up with derogatory nicknames for other animals,” Judy said sighing. 

Soon the group reached the entrance to the hospital and was able to leave the dark building thanks to Nick's night vision skills. The outside was devoid of life, perfectly implanting the fact that this was a Spirit World. It was cloudy, but the sky was naturally bright in the spirit world as very bright bluish-green moonlight shown through. The scenery was eerily calming and put them at ease. The flickering light of spirits created a majestic glow in the city. Yet the trio was snapped out of this quickly as an extreme feeling of dread washed over them. The silence of the world was broken by a loud, monstrous groan that was coming directly behind them. The voices that spoke to them when they first arrived were able to reach them once again. “Grudge...a creature unable to move on... filled with hate...run!” 

The voices didn't have to tell them twice. With renewed energy and his life on the line, Alex was able to start sprinting furiously away from the creature behind him. Judy and Nick quickly passed Alex thanks to their physically fit bodies. Alex turned back and saw it was the same monster deer that almost killed him twice today. The deer roared and chased them on all fours. Judy was in front of the group and started shouting directions of where to go to try to lose the deer. The deer was able to jump quite far and snarled at them when it landed in front of the animals running for their lives. Judy's quick reaction skills helped them evade running directly into the deer, thankfully, but something felt strange to Alex. It seemed like the deer wasn't giving it his all - like he was leading them somewhere. 

As they ran through the streets, turning corner after corner, seemingly guided by the monster deer, they soon arrived at the bus stop near Alex's apartment building - the same place he was first attacked this morning. As soon as they stepped near the bus stop, the world shook violently. The eerie, bluish-green moonlight illuminating the area turned red. A bloodlike substance was covering the ground, just like in his first vision. A broken car which seemed to be the source of the blood was seen near the bus stop. The deer smirked and stared them down. Judy tried to turn back the way they came but ran smack dab into an invisible wall. The rush of adrenaline soon ended as Alex felt incredible fatigue. He got down on one knee, making him an easy target. 

“There is no escape...” said the monstrous deer. “This is my domain...I control the space within...Now I can finally get my revenge...This wolf... this wolf killed me! He took everything away from me! My family... my friends... everything! Ever since the day that wolf ran me over it was all gone!”

Judy and Nick eyed Alex in shock. “Is that true? Did you kill that deer?” asked Judy.

“No, that's impossible! I don't even own a car! I don't have a driver's license!” Alex shouted to Judy before turning back to the deer.

“Wait, Judy! Think back. Remember what the rabbit spirit said at the hospital? That he didn't remember his own name? Maybe spirits forget a part of their memories when they die.” Nick said, stating the facts. “Judy, I think we can trust this guy. He's been honest with us so far and we are kinda stuck with him until we get outta here. Let's see this through together, partner!” Nick gave her a cocky smile and a wink. 

Judy was embarrassed, but she changed her mind and agreed with Nick. Besides, it was wrong to just accuse someone without getting the facts. The situation had put her on edge, leading to her wrongful accusation. Besides, this was one of the nicest wolves she had met, even nicer than some of the jerky ones at the police station. “You've got the wrong wolf! Please let us go and send us back to the real world!”

“I know a wolf killed me and that is all I care about... I'll kill your entire species if I have to! Now die!” The monstrous deer suddenly grew larger, turning into some sort of demonic car. Spikes jutted out of his back as his hooves became wheels. The hood of the car was his head, angrily staring the wolf down.

The three were able to get run over and like a deer caught in headlights they couldn't move out of the way. The situation was truly hopeless. Despair encircled their beings as death approached. Suddenly the clouds above started to break apart, revealing a full moon. Alex couldn't resist it... even right before his death, he just had to howl. One last howl...maybe someone, anyone could help if they heard his voice. With sadness, he got on all fours and let out the most sorrowful howl he could. 

The deer froze and stopped its advance. “I can't move... what's going on? Did you do this, wolf?!”

Alex's chest hurt. It felt like it was on fire. He clutched it and turned to Nick and Judy, who seemed to be experiencing the same thing. 

“Ugh, this hurts...” Judy said screaming.

“This... this feeling... what's going on...” Nick shouted.

Everything turned to white and Alex was alone in a white space. A large wolf soon appeared before him, but it wasn't like him. It was an un-evolved wolf, like they were in ancient times. It was almost double Alex's size, and covered in light-blue, icy fur. The wolf also had extremely large fangs, typical of a savage wolf, yet there was something comforting in the way it behaved. He felt like it was something he knew deep down as a natural part of himself. 

The wolf spoke directly inside Alex's mind in a godlike tone. “Alex...I am one of the primal wolf spirits... Fenrir. The first wolf to ever exist. The origin of all wolves in their natural state. Yet you are different. You have evolved and are living in a society with animals we once preyed upon. You have the potential to harness the power of the wolf spirit, the animal within your very soul. Alex, your destiny is tied to this place. You cannot die here. I will bless you with power that will aid you in this realm... Now go forth and live on!” The wolf vanished, and soon a sword appeared in Fenrir's place. The sword was long enough to be a two-handed broadsword, and was ice-blue in appearance with a silver hilt. 

Judy was having a similar experience; a large bunny with snow-like fur was standing right before her. “Judy, I am Centzon Totochtin, one of the primal spirits of bunnies like yourself. We have come far as a species, having evolved to be able to break bread with those who would once dine on our flesh. You possess bravery, bravery to acknowledge your faults, to rise above and be accepted by predators. I will grant you my blessing. Please protect this place as you protect other animals, my child...” The bunny spirit disappeared, leaving behind a spear with a carrot shaped blade at the end of the pole. 

A yellow-furred fox with a mischievous grin appeared before Nick, calling itself Oinari. “Nick...I am one of the primal spirits of foxes, a guiding light to our fellow brothers and sisters when we were young. We are known as sly and sneaky to other animals, but we have so much more potential. I have witnessed you overcome challenges and find acceptance in this world. Nick, though it may frighten you, please continue to overcome everything and rise above it all. I will grant you my blessing.” A wooden longbow appeared in the fox spirit's place. 

The three woke out of their daze, holding the weapons they were given by the primal animal spirits. They felt warm to the touch, like it was an extension of their beings. Their very souls made manifest into weapons that could be used against this monstrous demonic deer. There was much to be discussed, so many unanswered questions, but there was one big problem in their way.


	4. Struggle and Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight begins, can our heroes survive?

Zootopia – Spirit Chronicles

Chapter 4 – Struggle and Acceptance

“What the hell just happened?” Alex said in a daze, gazing at the sword that was born from his soul. The blessing of the primal spirit gave him the power to fight in this world. With this sword he could fight for survival instead of run in fear. There was just one problem: the opponent was a large, monstrous Grudge who had transformed into the object that had caused its death. 

“I saw a rabbit and now I have this spear... I guess this isn't the craziest thing that's happened today. Nick, I'm counting on you. Let's just pretend this, whatever it is, is another criminal who is targeting our wolf friend here. Alright, stop this right now! You are under arrest!” Judy said while gripping her spear. The stun gun and tranquilizer gun she carried were useless. This was the only thing she could rely on to live and fulfill her duty to protect the citizens of Zootopia.

“Hahaha...I guess we have no choice. This is the craziest day of my life, I swear...” Nick said while gripping his bow. He had no arrows, so he curiously pulled the bow string back to see what would happen. An arrow of light seemed to form as he pulled the string. The fox always felt he had a good eye when it came to hitting things at long distance, but luckily the target was so large it would be hard to miss. 

“Soul Weapons!?” the Grudge cried out, fearing something it thought was dangerous to its well being. “No matter. You will die all the same!” Whatever mysterious force held the Grudge back was gone and it continued its advance. 

Alex dodged left and Nick dodged right while Judy jumped into the air. For some reason she could jump higher than she could normally. She could feel the ancestral power of her species giving her enhanced capabilities. With this, she was able to completely evade the deer grudge's attack and was now in a great position to strike back. Gripping the carrot spear with both paws, she let gravity take over and struck the back of the demonic car. The monster cried out in pain as it took the hit, unable to avoid it due to its size. 

After Judy struck the Grudge, Nick fired one of his arrows, aiming for the monster’s tires. A direct hit to the wheel caused the Grudge to not be able to move with it. Nick proceeded to keep firing at the wheels, but he noticed that with each shot he fired he felt more and more drained. He probably shouldn't fire too many shots or risk being left vulnerable. All of the arrows hit their mark, causing the deer monster to be stuck in place. 

Alex was left frozen in place. He felt bad that he dragged these two nice animals into this fantasy realm of insanity. He had to do something, even if he was an untrained civilian. Closing his eyes, he left out another howl, feeling the spiritual energy of ancient wolves fill his being. As if signaling to attack his prey, the howl resonated and filled him with confidence and determination. He pictured how a sword wielding hero would handle this in one of his video games and took an improvised sword stance. His foe looked weak as he charged to the monster, slashing it rapidly and wildly. Deep down he did not wish to hurt the spirit of the deceased turned evil, but that the spirit would let go of its hatred. Jumping into the air and holding his sword aloft, he gave one final strike which finished off the grudge.

Judy got her spear out of the monster and managed to land back on the ground next to Alex as the Grudge shook and cried out in pain. Red mist was pouring out of its body, as if all of its anger and hatred was purged from him during the fight. The Grudge’s domain they were in started to fade. The blood coming from the image of the car accident disappeared, and the scenery returned to what was considered normal for this world. The grudge had vanished and had left behind the spirit of a male deer standing on all fours as they once did in ancient times. It tried to look proud and majestic, but instead it just looked sorrowful. Its spirit glowed a soft white as he looked upon the ones who rescued him.

“I'm...I'm me again...' said the deer's spirit. “All I could think about was revenge, revenge for my death. How I mourned not to be able to see my wife and daughter anymore. I became so angry that I turned into that thing...Day by day my rage grew, and I became powerful enough to be able to reach out into the world and attack that wolf, even though I knew it wasn't the same one. I was just blinded by hatred...I can't believe I almost killed innocent animals...I am truly sorry.”

Alex looked sad listening to the deer's story. Everything was starting to come together. The mystery of his attacker this morning had been solved, but there was no one to arrest, no one to blame. “I...I forgive you...I can't begin to imagine how it must have felt. To know that you died wrongfully due to the fault of others...to know that you will never see your family or anyone you loved.”

“Thank you for forgiving me... I only wish I could see them one last time... then I feel like I can move on.” the deer said in lament.

Suddenly a vision appeared before everyone. It was a scene of what was currently occurring in reality. A female deer in a light blue dress and light-colored fur was standing with a bouquet of flowers near the point of the accident that occurred. “It's been a while since I've been to see you honey... it's been a year since that day... the day that I would never see you again. It turns out there was a manufacturer error in the car that wolf was driving, a problem with the steering wheel and brakes that caused him to swerve and crash into you. That wolf felt so guilty, he sent us money to help until I got myself a job. Now I'm able to support the family that we created and built together.” She laid the flowers down on the ground as she tried to hold back her tears. 

She continued to speak aloud, thinking that somewhere her late husband could hear her words. “Oh Richard... it's been so hard this past year without you, yet we were able to survive. Your daughter is five years old now. She has her father's intelligence, and I'm sure she will grow up to become great like you were. Also, this was a surprise that I never got to tell you about: on the day you left for work that day...I found out that I was pregnant... I was going to surprise you when you got home, but you never came back...” 

She couldn't hold back and started sobbing while reaching into her wallet and grabbing a picture they took on their wedding day. “You have a son now... he looks so much like his father. Here you can see a picture of him and your daughter.” The woman placed a copy of the picture she was holding on the ground next to the flowers. She then took out a picture of her son and daughter and placed it next to her wedding picture. They looked so happy, as if this sadness had already passed. “I'll never forget you, Richard...I will look after everyone and keep our children happy so... that one day...when I get to see you again... I will be able to tell you that they were able to grow up strong like their father!” The woman broke down and started sobbing on the ground. It was the middle of the night. No one was around her, so she was able to cry without being disturbed.

The deer spirit, Richard, started to cry as well. Seeing a vision of his wife, he started to remember his own life, his name, his wonderful wife and daughter, and now he got to see a picture of his son that he would never get to meet in person. “Diane...thank you...I love you so much... You will take good care of the children...I just know it! Please keep them safe for me. I'll make sure to watch you from afar.” The deer spirit walked over to his wife and placed his head on her shoulder. The two parallel worlds in that one brief moment were able to connect. His wife Diane felt warmness on her neck and it comforted her troubled soul. They stood there for a moment and soon Richard backed away. “Goodbye Diane... and thank you my love.” The spirit of the deer looked back at the wolf, bunny, and fox that freed him from his hate and thanked them once more. He turned back to his wife and started to fade away, having finally found peace and come to terms with his death. As he faded away, a brilliant life shone around the area that soon faded and disappeared into a thousand sparks of light. The vision of Diane soon faded as well as she wiped her tears and left the site of her husband's death.

Alex was sobbing like a child, as was Judy. Nick was trying his best to keep his cool but tears escaped from his eyes and landed on his police uniform. The fox turned away so that the others wouldn't see him lose his cool. They were at a loss for words of what just happened. It could have been considered a miracle that the spirit was able to find peace and move on. They took comfort in that it was because of their actions that he was able to stop seeing the world with so much hate. 

Alex wiped the tears and noticed something strange in the distance near the site of the accident. It was a circular portal that glowed in a blue light. He walked up to it and examined it. He stuck his head through it on a trusting whim. On the other side he could see the lit up Zootopia streets, its sky, and its buildings. Thankfully, no one was around, so it was a perfect place to go back to. He even saw the sight of the deer's accident near the bus stop. Flowers lay next to the area, further cementing that everything that just took place was real. Pulling his head back out, he turned to Nick and Judy. “Hey, I think this looks like the way home. I see our Zootopia!”

Nick and Judy looked overjoyed as they hurried to Alex's side. Judy stopped for a bit before completely heading over, taking one last glance at where the deer vanished. She mouthed the words goodbye before headed back. The trio soon returned back to Zootopia, the one they knew and loved. There was so much to be discussed. So much had happened in this one day, but for now they were happy just to be back in reality. Taking a moment to breathe in the fresh and cool night air, Alex couldn't help but feel good to be back. 

As they returned to reality, a figure stood on top of a nearby building in the spirit world, unknown to anyone. The figure had witnessed their fight and the events that occurred afterwards. “Hmm… three more are able to enter this place, and they received a primal spirit's blessing... I'll have to observe them a bit more, but they may become a problem,” the figure said as he vanished into the darkness of night.

Meanwhile, in an unseen realm, the primal spirits that helped Alex, Nick, and Judy were having a discussion. The wolf spoke, “I'm surprised you two wanted to help out. You wanted to remain neutral in all of this. What changed your mind?”

The rabbit responded saying “The others’ actions cannot be ignored anymore, and we cannot directly interfere. Luckily, your chosen brought along suitable candidates.”

The fox smirked and replied, “Yes, agreed. We were fortunate enough that the three of us now have players on the chess board. Now things will get very interesting from now on.”

The wolf looked off into the distance. “We can only trust in them now. Hopefully we made the right choice.”


	5. Resolve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes try to gather more information about the occult.

Zootopia – Spirit Chronicles

Chapter 5 – Resolve

As the blue portal closed behind them, so too did the adventure they just had. The weapons that they had gripped in their paws faded away as if they never were. Only the memories of their experiences remained to be kept. Alex immediately checked his stuff. His phone was working again, relieving him of his technological withdrawal. The street was empty as the full moon shone brightly in the sky. The wolf resisted the urge to howl like a young pup as he double checked his phone. It was almost midnight; they must have been in that strange world for about five hours. He couldn't believe any of what had just happened was real. Alex gripped his heart with his paws and breathed heavily. The fatigue he felt was at its limit; his limbs felt like Jell-o and it hurt to move around. 

He turned to Nick and Judy and bowed his head to them. “Thank you so much for your help, kind officers. You saved my life.” 

Judy blushed a bit. “I...it's all in a day’s work! Hehe! Though that was the strangest day I've ever had.”

Nick gave a genuine smile and said, “No problem, but you were pretty good out there, too!” Taking on a more relaxed stance, he continued. “Maybe you should join the ZPD as well,” he said with a little sarcasm in his voice.

Alex laughed out loud. The thought of him being a cop was the funniest thing he ever heard. “Haha! Good one, but I am so out of shape. I am so not cut out for that kind of dangerous work. Besides, I'm happy where I am now.” The wolf then mumbled under his breath, “Also, I'm sure I make more money doing my current job than a dangerous one where my life is on the line...Oops I said my thoughts out loud again.”

Nick chuckled at his remark, finding it not a half bad comeback to his own joke. Judy, however, wanted to discuss more important things. She spoke up, “Well, anyway, this seems like something we need to talk about. Let's try to sum up what just happened.” The three spoke in detail about the events that took place. There was a world parallel to their own where spirits dwelled. The spirits that they encountered were of deceased animals, animals that couldn’t remember much of their past life. When an animal dies in a horrific way or is filled with a type of lingering hatred or envy against the living, their spirit is filled with malice, and over time, gains power and turns into a creature called a Grudge. 

The grudge was the main culprit behind this case, and through sheer luck they were rescued by entities called the primal animal spirits. They represented the first incarnations of ancient animals, and they blessed them with the power to fight in the spirit world. This power was the ability to manifest a weapon from one's soul. It also increased their natural abilities, such as improving Judy's jumping ability, Nick's speed, and Alex's strength. When they defeated the Grudge, its malice disappeared and it returned to its natural state. Then, where the boundary between the worlds was the weakest, a gate appeared to take them back home. The weakened boundary also let them glimpse at what was occurring in real time in the real world as well. It was all so confusing, but after they pieced together what they knew, they started to figure out how the Spirit World worked, if only a tiny piece. 

Judy glimpsed at her phone, which was suddenly blowing up with text messages and missed calls from when she was in the Spirit World. Clawhauser was worried when she didn't come back to file some reports. “Oh crackers...Nick, let's head back to the station and finish up our reports.”  
“Hold on a minute there...we can't just leave things as they are. Hey, howler!” he shouted, referring to Alex, who frowned. Howling was so embarrassing to him for some reason, and he’d done it multiple times today. “Let's have your cell number and information. I'm going to text you an address and time later where you can meet us. I know someone who is into this occult kind of stuff and might have more information.”

“Ah, that sounds like a good idea...” Alex said, perking up at Nick's suggestion. Alex swapped phone numbers with the officers and said, “Well, I should go to bed. I don't think I'll be able to move tomorrow morning after all that running. Good night, officers!” Alex started to walk back to his apartment. Judy and Nick replied in kind and watched the wolf head back. 

“Hey Carrots, what you do think of four eyes over there?” Nick asked curiously.

“He's pretty nice. I've never met a wolf like him. Who would’ve known that meeting him would lead to this amazing discovery and all this other crazy stuff? I think we'll be seeing more of him in the future,” Judy said enthusiastically as they walked back to the hospital where their police car was still parked. 

“I agree. He is interesting, but some things aren't adding up. He seems to be hiding something. I noticed he has a habit of grabbing his neck when something is wrong or if he's scared. Maybe I'm being too analytical, but I just think we should keep an eye on him. He's the only one besides us that we know of who can enter that world,” Nick said with a cautious attitude towards the wolf. 

The next day Alex took the day off work, his body sore and throbbing in pain. It hurt to move around, and even breathing caused him distress. Just as Nick mentioned, he texted Alex a place and time they would meet up. The message said to meet them at the otter psychic named Madam Lutra at 8 pm. Apparently it was located across from a naturalist club in Sahara Square. After sleeping in some more and struggling to get out of bed and put on some clothes, he forcibly dragged himself to the meeting location. 

He made it with a few minutes to spare and was greeted by Nick and Judy in plain clothes. Nick was wearing his typical green Hawaiian shirt and tie with brown pants, and Judy wore a red short-sleeve shirt and jeans. “Hello, officers! It's great to see you again!” he said enthusiastically while wagging his tail. 

“Hey there, Alex! And you don't have to be so formal. We've been through a lot together in one night after all.” Judy said, trying to help him relax his speech. 

“Oh r-right, it was Judy and Nick if I am not mistaken. Sorry it took me so long; I rarely come to Sahara Square,” he said while mumbling. “Actually, it's rare for me to leave my apartment at all... it's too much walking to go places.” Alex's bad habit of saying his thoughts out loud showed again, which he quickly apologized unnecessarily. “I can't believe naturalist clubs exist, though.” he said, pointing at the one across the street. “Those places where you have to be naked. That's so embarrassing. I'd feel like a pervert if I walked into that kind of place.”

Judy heard his statement and felt embarrassed, remembering her past visit to the place in question. Nick lightly elbowed her saying, “Yea, only real perverts like to go to places like that to see naked animals. Right, Judy?” he said, grinning mischievously. Judy glared angrily and proceeded to step on his tail, causing Nick to wince and stop his line of teasing. 

They headed inside and entered a dark and dimly lit room. Alex and Nick were nocturnal animals by nature, so they had no problem with the lack of light. Judy struggled, but managed to find her way with the melting candles spread throughout. Suddenly the lights in the room turned on and an elderly female otter dressed in purple robes appeared through the nearby curtain. With the room lit, Judy could see it was decorated with dream catchers, tarot cards, special charms and other stuff like that. “Welcome, my children. I am Madam Lutra at your service. Ah...Nick, my child, it has been some time...I've heard whispers that you have graduated from scam artist to a police officer. I offer you my congratulations.”

“Scam artist?” Alex said, whispering to Judy.

“It's a long story. I'll fill you in another time,” Judy whispered back.

Nick smiled at the old woman, paying no mind to the whispers behind him. “Thanks! Hey, you are good with all this occult stuff. What can you tell us about the Spirit World? We are doing some research on it and wanted to know all about it.” 

“Ah, the spirits! It's strange that you would want to know more about them, Nick, but I will divulge what I know.” The old woman offered the three of them a seat near a table in the center of the room. A crystal ball was adorned in the center of the table. The three of them sat down and listened to the old woman's tale.

“Long ago, this world was naught but a barren wasteland, until the spark of life graced our world. This life was born from the power of the Spirit of the Planet, the source of all life that we have come to know. Each and every species of animal and plant was given life by the planet's spirit. Yet spirits cannot co-exist with the life forms that were created. They exist on a different plane of the same world and are responsible for providing life. When our bodies perish, our spirits ascend to that plane so that we maybe return to the planet and continue the cycle of life,” she said solemnly. 

“So if that's true, that means this world and the spirit world are like two sides of the same coin...” Alex mumbled to himself as he listened. 

Nick wasn't one to believe such an origin story about the world, but he humored her and asked her a question. “Have there ever been cases of spirits entering into our world and causing mischief?”

“Of course, Nick! Ever been to an actual haunted house, a place where someone recently passed away, or a place that is extremely sacred such as a shrine? You can't deny that there are unexplained occurrences in these locations. Mysterious shivers going down your spine, whispers in your ear, noises you hear in the distance. Those are the spirits reaching out into our world, as the boundary is weaker there and they are able to have a more direct influence. Most try to interact with us in peace or curiosity, but there are malicious spirits that have been reported to try to kill the living out of envy,” she said with a grim expression.

“The Grudges! That explains what happened to Alex, Nick!” Judy said in a soft voice while trying to contain her energy.

Alex grabbed his neck again, which now had a black collar instead of bandages, remembering what happened yesterday. “Yes, I can attest that I have experienced those things, especially the malicious spirit attack,” he said grimly.

The old otter woman looked at the wolf with sorrowful, empathetic eyes. “Ah, my poor child. Even with my old eyes, I can tell you have a very powerful spirit. You are more sensitive to spirits than other animals, just like I am. Yet I sense terrible things in your future...” The otter took out some fortune telling tarot cards and began a reading. “My my, I've never seen this before. I've done a reading on your future multiple times and they all come up with the same result: disaster. The odds of that are nigh impossible. Please be careful. Death is close to you, my dear wolf.”

“D…Death...?” Alex grabbed his neck again, shaking. His mind was trying to remember something, something horrible. He told himself to calm down and stop thinking about it. Memories that have been buried need to be forgotten. “An impossible reading, disaster in my future... I'm sorry, I need to step out. Thank you for your time,” Alex said as he quickly walked out of the shop in a panic. His heart was pounding a million miles a minute. He had to sit down on the sidewalk as he had a mini panic attack. He never thought about stuff like this, but with what occurred yesterday, the Spirit world, being attacked, learning that he was super sensitive to spirits… it was all but inevitable that he would be attacked again. There had to be a way, a way to stop spirits from attacking him or other innocent animals, a way to save others from the same fate. 

Judy and Nick quickly followed out of the shop after Alex and found him sitting on the sidewalk. By the time they arrived he had calmed down a bit. “I...I'm sorry. That got too weird for me, but I was thinking. There is a high chance that I might get attacked again and there might be others who might get attacked as well. If those Grudges get too powerful, they might be able to kill others as well.” He took a pause and stood up to face the fox and bunny. “Even though I'm not an officer like you guys who protect living animals, I... I want to save the ones who can't pass on in the Spirit World, so that they can't hurt the living, so they can be at peace. I won't force you two to help me, but you two have been though the same experiences I have. I want to let you two know that I plan on going back there and try to help out whatever spirits I can. Even if it's dangerous...I feel like I can't just sit back and wait for another Grudge to attack me!” 

Judy and Nick looked at each other and whispered amongst themselves, most likely discussing the wolf's resolve to explore the spirit world. Judy turned to Alex and said, “Even if it's dangerous, I can't let you go by yourself. As an officer, I feel obligated to keep you safe, and besides, I feel like we are friends already. I want to help you out too!”

“I'm with Carrots over here. This sounds like quite the adventure, and it will give me something to do when I'm bored,” Nick said, trying to play it off nonchalantly, but deep down he was excited at such a prospect. “But how are we supposed to go back there?”

Alex had an idea. “Remember that blue gate that we took to get out of the Spirit World? When I listened to Madam Lutra, she said the boundaries are weak in certain places. Those places must have similar gates. In our free time we should go look for gates, and if one of us finds one, we’ll call the others and we can get together to explore.”

“Sounds as good a plan as any!” Nick said, grinning. “I look forward to working with ya, Howly!” he said, extending his paw. 

Alex shook his paw and nodded. “Same here!” He also shook Judy's paw. “Thank you so much!”

Judy smiled happily at the wolf. “No problem! I'm so excited. I feel like I'm not only the first bunny police officer of Zootopia but the first officer of Zootopia's Spirit World!” 

“Well, it's getting late. I should be heading home,” Alex said after he checked the time on his smart phone. He got embarrassed a bit. He wanted to become better friends with these two, but he never had many friends growing up due to his shyness. “W-well, if you ever want to hang out when you guys are off duty, give me a call! We can look for gates or just...hang out or something...” he said, not being able to make eye contact.

Judy nodded, saying, “Sure, no problem!” Nick nodded as well, wondering why he was acting so shy. He was so confident a few moments ago, but he suddenly reverted to his original mental state. 

And so, with Alex's mind set and Nick and Judy both on board to help out, a new adventure that would uncover the hidden side of Zootopia had finally begun.


	6. Judy's Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy tries to help the geeky wolf Alex get some exercise, much to Alex's dismay.

Zootopia – Spirit Chronicles

Chapter 6 – Judy's Training

Two days had passed since Alex met with Madam Lutra. It was a Saturday morning, and Alex had stayed up till around 2 a.m. He was running around so much lately he didn't have time to play the new games that were released this week. Slumbering peacefully under the covers of his bed, he was finally able to get a restful sleep after this hectic week, or so he thought. A loud knocking soon echoed throughout his apartment. Was someone knocking on his door? The loud noise stirred Alex awake as he checked the time. It was around 7 a.m., way too early to get up on a Saturday, though it was strange for someone to knock on his door. In a sleepy haze, Alex rolled out of bed onto the floor in nothing but his boxers and his black collar, which he was too lazy to take off from yesterday. His fur was a total mess from sleeping. “Coming...” he yawned out loud as he slowly made his way to the door, trying to pry his eyes open. Unlocking the door and wiping his eyes, he looked at his unknown visitor.

“Good morning, Alex!” A happy voice rang out in an over-enthusiastic way.

“G...good morning...wait. That voice... Judy!?” Alex said in shock as he looked down and saw Judy in plain clothes. It looked like she was wearing running gear for some reason, a green tank top and blue sweatpants, along with a water bottle in her paw. The wolf hadn't been this embarrassed in a while. He was nearly naked right in front of someone he was just getting to know. Letting out a small yell, he slammed the door and quickly put on some clothes. A simple black t-shirt and brown shorts were selected from the pile of clothes he lazily kept in the middle of his apartment. He quickly put them on and walked back to the door that he so rudely closed in haste and opened it.

“J-Judy, w-what are you doing here?” Alex stammered, still drenched in embarrassment. 

Judy smiled as she giggled a bit at Alex's embarrassment. She half expected something like this to happen, but it wasn't a big deal to her. “Hey Alex, I thought I would surprise you and get you out for some exercise! I couldn't help but notice you were very out of shape when we were in that other world. I was thinking that I can help you out with your stamina!”

“You're logic is sound, and I can't argue with those points, but why so early? And on a Saturday?” Alex replied. He didn't expect Judy to take it upon herself to care so much about him and do something so kind for him. On the other hand, some bunny just woke him up on a Saturday to do something he hated doing. Flashbacks of years of elementary, middle, and high school gym classes kept flooding back, the laughing and taunting from other kids calling him a failure as a wolf. Shaking these thoughts out of his head, he focused back on Judy.

“Early is really the best time for this kind of stuff. Come on! It will be fun!” Judy said while smiling innocently. For some reason, Alex felt this statement to be false in regards to his own definition of fun. He didn't know Judy well enough, but he might have imagined she finds this kind of stuff entertaining. He went to grab his glasses, wallet, phone, and other things and proceeded to leave the apartment building with Judy. 

This bunny is pure evil...the wolf kept repeating to himself in his head. First she made him jog all the way to the park in the center of the city, as well as other varieties of cardiovascular activities such as jumping jacks. He was given breaks in between, but it was all he could do to catch his breath and stop himself from collapsing from exhaustion. His clothes were covered in sweat, a sight he rarely if ever saw. 

“Sorry, Judy. I need like another 5-10 minutes...I can't move. Please!” he said, still breathing heavily. He scanned the surroundings of the park. There were other joggers, some children already playing, and other animals of various ages and species enjoying the warm day. The wolf couldn't find any escape routes, and even if he did, the rabbit would easily catch up, and she knew where he lived. 

Judy was jogging in place, looking like it was nothing. She reluctantly gave in to the wolf. “Ok... ok, no need to beg. I remember doing this with Nick before he went to the police academy for training. My training helped him graduate as one of the top members of the class! I'm sure I can do the same for you.”

“That's great and all, Judy, but I'm not a police officer, I have no intention of becoming one, and I live a sedentary lifestyle. Maybe we can make that goal a little smaller... you know, something I could probably accomplish in my lifetime,” Alex quipped. 

Judy was ever the optimist and couldn't really see Alex's slightly pessimistic point of view on the situation. “That's no way to think! Think positively! Anyway, break time's over! Now drop and give me twenty push-ups!” She sounded like a drill sergeant and was getting way too into that role. 

“T-twenty!? My record in high school was zero...but maybe I have improved...” Alex said negatively, his attitude towards himself getting worse as the exercise regiment from hell continued. Alex got on the ground and tried to do a push-up, but his arms shook wildly as he tried to push himself off the ground. He collapsed and fell back with a thud. Repetition of this action only made it worse.

Judy started to have a worried look on her face as she saw the futility of her command to do push-ups. “Err... maybe we should call it a day. You seem pretty tired. Let's cool down and walk to that bench over there.”

Struggling but finally getting up, he walked slowly to the bench, recovering from the exercise. When he finally reached it and sat down, the relief on his face was palpable. Judy hopped on the bench and sat next to the wolf as well. A gently blowing breeze offered more relief for the wolf. 

“Sorry Judy, but I don't think I'm cut out for exercise. I've been bad at it ever since I was a pup. You know how kids can be...their name-calling and teasing kinda scarred me. But I was kinda happy when you surprised me this morning. I never really considered doing this as an adult, despite it being good for my health. Thanks for not laughing at me and helping a bad case like me,” he said sincerely.

“Don't worry about it Alex. All that stuff is in the past. I know that kids can be cruel...but you can move past it, I'm sure! Also, everyone starts somewhere! Little by little you will improve and get stronger! It just takes time!” Judy said, encouraging him.

“Well well well... if it isn't the Omega...” a familiar voice said as it approached Alex and Judy. 

“Speaking of cruel kids...” Alex mumbled under his breath, instantly recognizing the voice. 

It was Jake Hunter, his high school tormentor. This black-furred wolf was tall, strong, and tough, the total opposite of young Alex. He was dressed in his police uniform, so one could assume he was on duty in the park. “You look like you've been exercising. Haha! Like that would even improve anything about you. Just accept your role in life, Omega. Go back to your video games and waste your life like the loser you are meant to be!”

Alex sat there just taking the abuse. He was too tired to argue back or walk away, but Judy spoke up for him.

“Listen, Jake! That is no way to treat someone as an officer, especially since you knew each other in school! I hope you don't talk to other citizens this way...”

“Pfft...I'm just teasing him, fluffers. We go way back...Alex and I. I just wanted to remind him who the top wolf is and will always be. I've got to get back anyway. Later, loser!” the cocky wolf shouted as he walked away, laughing to himself.

“Ugh, what a jerk... how did you even know a guy like that?” Judy asked once the wolf was out of sight.

“Actually...” Alex said to himself, reminiscing. “Actually...what he said was correct, we do go way back. In fact, we used to be best friends. When I first came to Zootopia, it was after I lost both my parents. My aunt and uncle eventually became my legal guardians, and they enrolled me in one of Zootopia's elementary schools. I didn't know anyone. I was scared and alone until I met Jake. He was the total opposite of me: confident, outgoing, but he started talking to me my first day and we just hit it off. We were inseparable; we played together all the time, and I can't remember a happier moment in my childhood. But then as we got older, something changed. We eventually drifted apart.” He paused for a moment, grabbing his collar once again. Judy remembered Nick mentioning that Alex's tell for hiding something was grabbing his collar. She wondered if there was more to the story than what Alex was letting on, but she let Alex continue without interruption.

“Then, on that day in high school, he betrayed me. He ended our friendship publicly and proceeded to humiliate me in front of the entire school. I sank deep into the depths of depression. The thought of my former best friend doing that to me, doing something so cruel... I couldn't forgive him. I can't stand up against him, but all I want is for him to be out of my life. I guess I can't escape my past, as fate cruelly brought him back into the picture recently, on the day I met you and Nick,” Alex said, trying not to tear up and cry. 

Judy frowned and patted the wolf's leg to comfort him, saying, “Hey, c'mon, don't be sad. You don't have to say anything else. I'll make sure he doesn't bother you, and if he ever threatens or hurts you, let me know and I'll throw his tail into a jail cell!” 

“Thanks, Judy!” the wolf said, feeling better. 

“I've got an idea!” Judy said. “Why don't you, me, and Nick go to an amusement park tomorrow? The one called Wild Times! It's a place for animals to embrace their wild side and have fun. That should cheer you up!”

“That does sound like fun. I've never been there before. Count me in!” Alex said happily.

Alex and Judy chatted a bit more afterwards to get to know each other, and eventually they parted ways. Judy went to go meet with Nick for lunch, while Alex had a date with his bed to have a well-earned nap.


	7. Wild Times with Wilde!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day to have some fun at the amusement park is finally here. Unfortunately Judy is running late so Alex and Nick must amuse themselves inside the park.

Zootopia – Spirit Chronicles

Chapter 7 – Wild Times with Wilde!

Wild Times, an very large indoor amusement park located on the outer edge of Zootopia. Originally it catered to predator animals to help them unleash their wild side and have fun but it was recently renovated to accommodate all animal species. The reason for this change was when the owner realized everyone needed to have fun and go wild even prey animals. It contained a variety of rides that catered to animals of all sizes, a large arcade, food court, and a stage for concerts and special events.

There he was, a lone wolf standing nervously in front of the entrance to the park. Alex got nervous in large crowds but he was braving it to hang out with Nick and Judy. He was wearing a black collar around his neck, one of his favorite shirts, a short sleeved dark blue hoodie with a yellow crescent moon on the back of the shirt and a smaller one in the front. Along with his gray shorts and glasses, he was wearing the silver wolf necklace, a memento of his late father. Suddenly his phone vibrated in his pocket. He checked and it was a group text message sent from Judy addressing both Alex and Nick. It read, 'Sorry guys, will be a few hours late, have to take care of some business, go ahead without me, I'll find you inside!' This made Alex a little nervous, he never spent time with Nick one and one. He remembered that Nick was a former con-man and couldn't help feel a lingering sense of doubt. Yet Alex felt the worst thing of all is the Nick refuses to call Alex or pretty much anyone by name.

Nick soon appeared at the front of the park walking casually towards the wolf. He was wearing his usual attire of green Hawaiian shirt and tie with brown pants. Nervously Alex said, “Hey N-nick, did you get Judy's text? If you guys want to cancel today I don't mind. I don't mind waiting either.”

Nick smirked and replied, “Hey Howler, yup got her text, but we are here anyway so let's just go on in. It'd be a waste to cancel since we are already here. Besides, I spend time with Judy all the time at work. It's nice to take a break every once in a while or else we get on each other's nerves.”

“Really? You two seem really in sync and get along great! You two are like a perfect match!” Alex said happily. Nick shyly looking away embarrassed at the compliment. Perhaps Nick had slightly romantic feelings towards Judy or perhaps Nick isn't used to compliments. Either way Alex was too oblivious and had too little information to make any assumptions.

“Hahaha Thanks...well let's go on in!” Nick said quickly changing the subject. Alex quickly followed suit.

It was his first time in Wild Times it was quite a large indoor amusement park. Various attractions were scattered around the area catering to animals of all shapes and sizes. One of the newer rides, the Wind Tunnel, consisted of sitting in a car driving through a large tunnel of high speed wind. The park encourages the riders to stick their heads out the window of the car. Nick pointed out that the Wind Tunnel is nothing but trouble for young drivers. He explained he had to arrest a lot of young canines who wanted to replicate the ride in real life and stick their heads out the window when driving in the streets causing major accidents.

Still Alex assured Nick that he'll be fine since he doesn't own a car so he would be fine. As the two went on the ride the wolf was super nervous to let loose and give into his wild tenancies. Climbing into one of the cars of the thrill ride. Slowly nervously he stuck his head out of the window on the car. Feeling the wind blow in his face at high speed was exhilarating. He never felt so free, the wind blowing against his fur, his tongue wagging out, it felt so addicting. Nick didn't see the appeal of the ride at first but as soon as he stuck his head out like the other riders he could feel why all those youths would want to replicate the feeling. For safety reasons he felt he shouldn't ride this again and let Judy take over the squad car driving for a bit.

After the ride Alex and Nick proceeded to head over to the carnival games which included tests of strength, speed, throwing. It also included tests of how well you can strong you can bite things, and guessing games. Alex wasn't good at carnival style games he felt they were rigged but Nick was excelling at them for some reason. It was like the fox knew all the tricks of the trade. The fox amassed a large collection of prize tickets.

“Wow Nick you're amazing at this stuff. How did you know where the coin was? That guy rotated the cups so fast I couldn't keep up!” the wolf said in amazement as he watched the wolf trade in tickets at the prize booth.

“Stick with me kid, I'll show you the ropes.” the fox said jokingly wearing some wacky sunglasses that he got from his prize tickets. For some reason Nick also got a small toy recorder pen shaped like a carrot. He looked at it grinning. “Heheheh now that I have one too...Judy's going to be in for a surprise.” he mumbled to himself menacingly. Alex felt that the carrot recorder pen must have had a big impact on him in the past but was a little weirded out to question it further.

Alex and Nick soon headed to the arcade area which included a wide variety of video games for large and small animals. There a small weasel spotted the fox and proceeded to shout and walk angrily towards him. The weasel was wearing basket ball shorts and a white sleeveless shirt. “Well now if it isn't Nick the cop. Why are you sticking your nose in a place like this and where's the bunny?”

Rolling his eyes the fox sighed and said, “Alex this is Duke Weaselton, a petty harmless thief, just ignore him and he should go away.”

“Hey! Don't ignore me fox! I still got a score to settle with ya! How about a rematch at Ultimate Animal Fighter! I've been practicing a lot so let's make a friendly wager... double or nothing!” the weasel said taking out 50 dollars.

Nick smirked, still wearing his sunglasses and said, “Sure you're on weaselbutt! But on one condition, this wolf here will play for me.”

“Huh...wha me? But I never played that game before.” Alex said shyly shirking away timidly.

The weasel looked at Alex and started laughing. “Haha this pathetic wolf!? He's the shortest scrawny wolf I've ever seen. He looks like he can't fight his way out of a paper bag! Easiest money I've ever made! Let's go!”

Alex tried to about face and walk in the other direction but Nick calmly grabbed his wrist tightly and dragged him unwillingly to the arcade machine. Ultimate animal fighter, a fighting game developed recently in which different animals compete in a fighting tournament. Each had special and unique abilities to topple their opponents. Larger animals had a lot of power but were slow and easy to hit while the smaller species had weaker attacks but were fast and harder to hit. The machine had four different heights on each side of it and screens to accommodate the animals standing at each height. Alex had some experience with fighting games so hopefully he doesn't do too badly.

“Don't worry Howler... I have faith in ya! Kick his butt!” Yet to think Nick would make a bet like this, how can the fox be so confident in him. Duke picked his character a large lion named King. Alex looked at each of the character choices looking at the different combat parameters and chose a goat named Billy. It had high speed and decent power plus he didn't want to make an obvious choice and pick a wolf. He felt like the goat would be fun to play as and soon the match began.

It was a best of three match. In the first round Alex got used to the controls, his inner video game knowledge trying to figure out combos and hit boxes of the opponents. Knowledge that someone like Weaselton would not consider. He did pretty well but managed to lose giving the weasel an advantage.

“Haha what a loser! Let's end this quick, there is not way your puny goat can beat my lion!” the weasel sneered.

“Hmph... Sorry Duke... I think I have this game and you figured out... things are going to be different now.” Alex said confidently. He was getting into the game now, he only got competitive when playing video games. The wolf started to exude an unseen confidence that Nick saw once before. It was hard to tell under his sunglasses but Nick was starting to admire the wolf's spirit.

The weasel's playstyle was very aggressive but left him wide open. Alex quickly managed to dodge the attacks and lock his opponent in a large damaging combo ending the match in his favor. The final round was about to begin, the weasel was starting to get nervous as Alex started to smile bearing his fangs. “It's over!” he shouted as his character landed a final attack on the lion, the goat's horns bashing his opponent repeatedly and finishing with a very powerful charge knowing out his opponent. Alex had won and even managed to win the last round without losing any health causing the words 'PERFECT' to appear on the screen.

“What the heck! This wolf is a natural! Did you know this Nick!? You tricked me you dirty fox!” the weasel yelled angrily.

“It's called a hussle!” The fox said grabbing the $50 from the weasel's greasy paws. “Besides you did this to yourself underestimating your opponent.”

The weasel grumbled to himself as Alex walked over to him. “That was a fun match Mr. Weaselton!” he exclaimed, his personality slowly reverting back to normal. “I have a lot of experience in fighting games and you have potential but you need to study the weakness and strengths of each character.” The wolf went into a long lecture on the basics of fighting games going into specifics that made the weasel's head spin.

“AHHH I can't take it anymore I'm outta here!” The weasel said running away with his tail between his legs.

“Wait! I haven't finished talking about air combos and dash cancels yet!” Alex shouted at his retreating opponent.

“Wow I've never seen him run away that fast! That was impressive Alex.” The fox said giving him a high paw. Alex met his paw with his own.

“Thanks! But how did you know that I would be better than him at that game.” Alex asked curiously.

“Well for one he isn't that good and two it's my intuition that tells me that a nerd like you would rock at video games. It was a no brainier choosing you as my ringer.” Nick said smiling.

The joy that Alex felt at the fun he was having with Nick was soon replaced by dread. He felt a chill run down his spine. Feeling a presence in the air similar to what he felt in the past. Without a word he started running towards the source of this eerie feeling. It was like he was drawn by an unknown power.

Soon he reached a roller coaster and saw a bear cub playing on the tracks. It was so small wearing a baseball shirt and pants and holding a baseball in his paws. How did such a small bear get on the tracks? The fence was large enough to turn away anyone dumb enough to go near the tracks but the bear cub might have climbed over it. The roller coaster was rolling at an alarming rate towards the cub, blissfully unaware of the impeding collision. Alex quickly and without thinking climbed the small fence and raced towards the cub. “Run! Run!” he shouted at the bear cub. The coaster had almost reached the bear, Alex prepared to throw himself at the bear to knock him out of the way. Suddenly he felt a sharp and powerful force bash him on his side. The force charged at him and knocked him out of the way stopping his momentum towards the track.

The force was none other than Nick, whose police training managed to quickly catch up to Alex and knock him out of harms way. Nick pinned Alex to the ground who screamed at the bear cub to run away and soon all he saw was the coaster run over where the bear cub was standing moments ago.

“Alex! ALEX! What is wrong with you!? Do you want to die?” Nick shouted angrily at the wolf.

“But there was a bear cub on the track! I wanted to save him but it was too late...he..he's...”

“What bear cub Alex!? There was no one on the track!” the fox said continuing to scold him.

“What but I saw him! If he wasn't there than that means... no...” Alex said stopping mid sentence. Did he just see a ghost? In the middle of the day?

Park security soon came to pick up the wolf. Nick flashed his badge and helped park security escort Alex out of the restricted area. He was dragged by the large burly security lions the park hired out of the roller coaster area and was being taken to the security office for questioning with Nick following in tow.

Alex was in despair, he couldn't distinguish between what was real and what wasn't and now he was in trouble and might get banned from the park... He looked around once more at the park he might never came back to and then he saw it on top of the ferris wheel. There for all who had a special gift to see, a large blue sphere sat at the top, the gate. An entryway into the spirit world, they finally found another.

“Nick do you see it? On top of the ferris wheel?” Alex asked the fox who was still steaming mad.

Nick angrily looked at the ferris wheel and his eyes widened. “No way... so that must explain why you saw that bear cub.” the fox said putting two and two togther rather quickly. “Sorry for being so rough with you Alex. Let's get all this straightened out and let's head for the ferris wheel. Judy just texted me she is about 10 minutes away.”

“Right..thanks Nick.. and I'm sorry... thanks for saving my life.” Alex said trying not to tear up at the kindness the fox showed by saving him.

“Anytime bud... all part of my job.” Nick said grinning and taking of his sunglasses laying them to rest on top of his head.


	8. Broken Dreams of Youth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes investigate the spirits inhabiting the amusement park.

Zootopia – Spirit Chronicles

Chapter 8 – Broken Dreams of Youth

Spending about thirty minutes stuck in the security offices of the amusement park, Alex hung his head and apologized profusely to the guards for going into the restricted area. Thankfully Nick, called Judy to explain what happened and she was able to jump to Alex's defense at the security office. Together the cops helped the poor wolf and stopped him from getting banned from the park. Afterwards the trio headed for the Ferris wheel in the center of the park.

“Wow I can't believe you saw another ghost Alex...” Judy said as she lead the way. Judy was dressed in a red plaid shirt and blue jeans.

“I never saw one so clearly before...I couldn't even distinguish it from another living mammal. If Nick wasn't there I would have been killed.” Alex said as he walked deep in thought, his paws in his pockets.

“Well Nick is pretty brave. He's saved me quite a bit though it's mostly me bailing him out of trouble.” Judy said glaring knowingly at Nick.

“If that's what you want to believe carrot-breath...I won't stop you.” Nick said glaring back at Judy somewhat playfully. Before Judy could retort the three had finally reached their destination.

“Well here we are, I'm kind of nervous but excited too..let's get going!” Alex said happily getting in line for the ride. Nick and Judy nodded and followed Alex. It was a little cramped but they were able to fit inside. As they took their seats the ride started moving upwards, slowly and peacefully until they reached the top. The blue gate was now visible within the car they sat in. Alex reached out and touched it and the gate began to open and expand. Soon the three entered the gateway disappearing from this world and entered the parallel Spirit World.

In the Spirit World, Wild Times was now completely empty, devoid of live. Darkness covered most of the park with small wisps of glowing spirits providing a soft green light. Technology did not work in the Spirit World so as the three exited the gate, they were stuck on top of the Ferris wheel.

“How are we supposed to get down from here?” Alex questioned.

“Let's just wing it, it can't be too tough to figure out.” Judy said opening the door of their car. She examined the area and proceeded to climb slowly downwards. Her natural atheistic body helping her to jump and grab onto lower parts of the Ferris wheel. 

“C'mon! It's not too hard!”

“Is she always this...er...brave?” Alex questioned Nick.

“You don't know the half of it...” he said rolling his eyes. “Judy there is not way we are doing that, find us some rope so we can climb down.” Nick shouted downwards to Judy who was already on the ground. Judy thankfully found some rope in one of the emergency kits at the bottom of the ride. She was able to get it up to Nick who tied it to their car. Nick safely slid down the rope and reached the bottom motioning for Alex to follow suit. Alex gulped and quickly followed suit trying not to look down as he slid downwards. The rope burning his paws a bit that he had to blow on them to cool them off after he landed.

After that ordeal was over it was time continue onward with their investigation of the spirit world. The park was very dark and depressing but soon they happened upon a friendly spirit. It was the spirit in the form of lioness who stood on all fours, just like a lioness would move in ancient times. Alex approached the spirit and tried to interact with it. “Hello, sorry to bother you Ms. Lioness but have you seen a bear cub wearing a baseball uniform?”

“Ah...I've never seen ones with physical bodies here before..welcome... I apologize but I don't remember my name or what I once was but I do know the child you are talking about. I look after the children here...I feel it is what I must to do be at peace... these poor children, their lives cut short never able to fully live their dreams.” The lioness said as she gazed upon the spirits of children playing nearby. Lion cubs were playing chasing each other nearby, wolf pups howling in the distance, the spirits of these children were playing. It could been seen as a type of therapy to cope with their death and somehow move on. Regardless of species the children were seen playing with each other in the park and enjoying themselves. To be able to play all the games they couldn't when they were alive, until they felt satisfied and at peace.

“I think I get it, spirits of children must gather here to have fun, this is technically an amusement park after all...” Nick inferred.

“Yes” the lioness replied. “Spirits like us don't remember much of what our lives were once like or even our names but when we interact with each other here we feel we can help each other and ease the pain that life brought us. But that child...the bear cub... he doesn't play with the other children. He stands all by his lonesome near that giant metal snake. I'm worried that he might become one of THEM soon...”

“Don't worry ma'am, we want to help that bear cub too! We'll go talk to him. Officer Hopps and Wilde are on the case! Oh and our trainee Alex!” Judy said as if talking to a citizen in trouble.

“I thank you.” the lioness said before turning her attention to the spirits of the deceased children playing nearby.

“Trainee?” Alex said questioning Judy.

“Sorry I wanted to couldn't come up with anything else besides I did train you a bit.” Judy said smiling.

“Oh right yesterday when you suddenly showed up, woke me up from my sleep and dragged me out to go jogging.” Alex said sighing heavily trying not to remember how tiring that day was.

“You did that to him Carrots? Poor guy, even I could barely handle that before I went to the Police Academy...” Nick said feeling sorry for the wolf.

“We didn't even finish...he only lasted 30 minutes at most...” Judy replied.

“There was more to that!? Geez...” Alex exclaimed in shock.

“Anyway...let's get back to our issue at hand.” Nick said trying to get things back on track. “The giant metal snake... that must be the roller coaster, that's where Alex first saw him too. Let's go take a look.”

The three headed for the area where Alex first saw the bear cub. After climbing the restricted area fence that Alex had to swear he wouldn't do again the bear cub came into view. It was different from other spirits they have seen before. It stood upright, was wearing clothes and seemed to be holding a baseball in his paw. Alex wondered if stronger spirits were able to better hold onto their forms and memories from when they were alive. The bear cub was tossing the ball to himself, standing on top of the tracks. When it heard the footsteps of the fox, rabbit, and wolf he turned to them instantly recognizing the wolf and running up to him.

“Hey you were that guy who could see me and you brought friends too! That guy was right after all! There are others like me here!” the bear said jumping for joy. Judging by his appearance he must have been around 10 years old when he died, he had small dark brown eyes and had unkempt messy fur, the sign of a boy who didn't care much for his appearance.

“Hello” Alex said kneeling down to the bear cub's height. “My name is Alex, and this is Judy and Nick... we wanted to talk to you. Why are you standing on this roller coaster and why aren't you playing with the other kids?”  
The bear's eyes turned from excited to sad. “The other kids look nothing like me... they don't even know what a baseball is... I tried to play with them but they couldn't catch it in their paws, just their teeth...” The bear turned and headed back to the track of the coaster. “This place didn't use to be like this, it was once a baseball field a long time ago. Back then I really wanted to play baseball with the other kids but my father said I shouldn't play with them, because they were prey... I didn't really understand what that meant but he kept insisting I shouldn't play with them. One day I sneaked out of the house and headed to the baseball field that was right here... the other children looked shocked as I approached them. They shouted 'Predator, predator! Run!' and soon I was all alone on that field. I didn't understand, why couldn't we all play? Why couldn't we all have fun? So I waited, waited for them to come back. Eventually one of them did, it was an older kid, a male pig came up to me, he was holding a baseball bat too. I was so excited! I might be able to play with him. Suddenly he came running up to me with a mad look in his eye...he took up the bat and swung it at me... then I woke up here all alone...”

“You poor thing...” Judy said as she ran up to hug the bear cub as he started crying. “There... there it's ok.” she said to comfort the bear like she would with one of her siblings as she too started to cry.

“A baseball field... Wild Times was built about 40 years ago so this bear must have died before the park was even built!” Nick said in shock. “Over 40 years and he still wasn't able to move on...poor kid...”

“Why... why would someone just murder an innocent kid? Damn it...” Alex said tearing up. He knew predator and prey were never on good terms but what would drive someone to murder?

The bear cub dried his eyes finally calming down. “But it's ok... it will all be ok... that guy I met said that if I ever saw a wolf who walked upright that he would be able to give me my life back!”

“What? That can't be right, who is this man you are talking about?” Alex said trying to figure out such an outrageous statement.

A mysterious voice rang out in Alex, Nick, and Judy's head. It was a deep male voice that felt powerful yet somewhat mysterious. “My dear bear cub. I apologize, I haven't explained how the wolf would give you your life back!”

Judy suddenly jumped back heading towards Nick and Alex she looked around trying to find the source of the voice. “Who are you? Show yourself!” she shouted.

The voice ignored Judy and continued. “All you have to do...is kill the wolf...and then you can take his body and go back to living the life you always wanted. Don't you envy them? You have such a strong spirit, you can even see the animals that are alive in this amusement park. Don't you want to talk to them? To play baseball like you desperately wanted? You have the power to do so...Gather up your hatred... and became alive once again. Kill him!”

“Don't listen to this voice! To take someone else's life for your own selfish desire... it will just be like what that pig did to you!” Alex exclaimed but it was too late. The wolf could already see the anger in the bear's eyes. A demon-like expression was now worn by this once innocent child. Red malice was swirling around the bear entering it's body and expanding outwards. A domain was starting to form warping the reality around the trio. The amusement park soon became an empty baseball field, with a blood red sky overhead. The bear started to transform growing larger, stronger as it became a grudge.

It stood there menacingly at 10 feet tall, holding a giant baseball bat with spikes jutting outwards, a large red baseball in his other hand. “I want my life back...” it cried in a deep and sorrowful. “I want to play baseball... I wanted to be part of a professional team... it was my dream...now I can take back my dream...please die!”

Alex stood strong, his face becoming determined and confident. “No! Just like I did before with that deer... I'll save you... I swear it!”

Holding his paw to his heart he called out to his soul, remembering the feeling of holding that weapon. The primal wolf Fenrir's blessing that laid deep within him responded to the call. An orb of light formed and appeared out of his chest. Alex grabbed the orb saying “Please grant me the power to save him, become my sword!” Holding the orb in both paws the image of a sword bathed in pure light appeared. The light faded and revealed the broadsword Alex wielded once before.  
Judy and Nick watched as Alex called and formed his soul weapon both in awe. They still couldn't believe stuff like this was happening. They looked at each other and gave a quick nod and stood next to Alex. Concentrating they both called upon the gifts they were given, orbs of light soon burst forth from their bodies. Judy's spear with the carrot spear-head was soon in her paws and likewise Nick's longbow was in his paws as well.  
The Grudge began to charge at them, swinging his giant spiked bat down at the much smaller animals. The sheer force shook the earth as it impacted the ground. Luckily Alex, Nick, and Judy were quick to dodge the incoming attack. Alex felt that feeling again, the power of his soul, increasing his physical abilities which helped with dodging that blow.

Nick readied his bow and began pulling the bowstring back, his spirit creating an arrow as he drew it back and proceeded to fire at the Grudge. It was a direct hit on his face causing it to cry out in pain, a mist of red poured out of the wound some of the hatred left it's body. The grudge then threw the large ball at Nick in retaliation. Nick gasped at the sight of the large menacing baseball barreling towards him and proceeded to jump out of the way barely dodging the impact. As Nick struggled a bit to get up from the impact the ball was still moving as if being controlled. It was picking up speed and was rolling towards Nick trying to flatten him.

The ball was picking up speed, Nick was running for his life as the ball rolled faster and faster. Even with Nick's enhanced speed at the ball was going to catch up to him soon. Alex and Judy ran towards Nick to help him. Alex leapt and pushed Nick out of the way just in time before the ball flattened him while Judy left up with her enhanced jumping ability and pieced the baseball with her spear causing it to stop. The grudge cried out in pain as Judy pierced the ball. Judy proceeded to stab it repeatedly and with each strike the ball got smaller and smaller eventually becoming a regular baseball.

Alex helped Nick off the ground and Nick thanked him for the help. The wolf was just happy to be able to return the favor and soon focused his attention back on the Grudge. “Nick cover me, I'm going up close!” Alex let out a howl, a signal of his upcoming attack as he charged towards the Grudge. The bear was about to slam his spiked bat on top of Alex but Nick fired a barrage of arrows at his face causing damage and distracting the bear's aim. Judy ran up to help Alex as well jumping up and impaling the Grudge's paw holding the bat by thrusting her spear in an upward direction. The sheer force of her jump and attack causing the bat to fall on the ground with a thud.

Alex took a leap and proceeded to slash the Grudge directly at it's chest. He focused on the sword and concentrating his soul's energy within the blade. His sword began to glow as he took one final leap and slashing his sword in the air. The energy that was focused on the blade unleashing all at once in a crescent shaped beam of light. It was something he saw a lot in the video games he played, he just imagined doing the same thing and was somehow about to make it work. If he were to name what he just did, Alex would probably call it, 'Crescent Beam Slash' or something cheesy like that. The beam of light pierced through the Grudge onto the other side. A final crushing blow that caused the last bits of hatred to fade away from the bear cub. Like a baseball striking a window frame, the demonic domain shattered like glass, slowly becoming Wild Times once again. They were victorious.

The bear cub sat there without a scratch on him but had a sorrowful look on it's face. “I... I'm sorry so sorry... I... I knew it was wrong but... I wanted to live again so much... and...I...”  
Alex walked up to the bear and kneeled next to him. “It's ok... it's all over now...”

In the distance the lioness along with many spirits of deceased children bore witness to what happened. The spirits of the children running up the bear and proceeded to rub and comfort the bear. The bear had a look of shock on his face. He shunned them but they still came to him. The bear spoke, “Thanks everyone, sorry if I didn't want to play with you earlier but I think I want to play with you guys now. I was never able to do that with others but I think now I have the chance to do so.” Predator, prey all of these children regardless of how they were born were playing together and now the bear cub was going to be a part of this fun.

“I'm happy for you...please take care of yourself baseball bear.” Nick said happily. Alex nodded in agreement. The wolf hopped that one day when the bear was able to move on, he would be reborn and live a happier longer life.  
“I think that's enough for today guys! Let's head home. I think everything is going to be ok at Wild Times.” Judy said. Suddenly she released she forgot to ask something, “Oh yes, before I forget, can you give us details on who that man was who told you to attack us? Anything at all would be helpful.”

The bear cub shook his head, “Sorry I don't really know what he looks like, he spoke to me from afar. Anyway Alex, Judy, Nick...thanks for setting me free! I'm going to go play with my new friends.” The bear cub suddenly started running, the other children following him on all fours as they ran around.

Judy sighed at the lack of information but the three of them said their goodbyes to the lioness and the children she took care of and headed back for the gate. As they headed back Alex felt a murderous gaze directed at him if only for a brief moment before it vanished. Shaking it off as just his imagination the three headed back to the real world. The lights of the indoor amusement park shone brightly as they luckily ended up back in an empty car of the Ferris wheel.  
Two hours had passed and it was almost closing time. Fatigue hit Alex like a truck, all the physical activity in the Spirit World hit him five times as hard in the real world. He was breathing heavily and his body felt like it was throbbing in pain from exercise. “Sorry guys I need to head home, I'm exhausted. Thanks for everything today guys! Let's meet up another day and we can talk more. Right now I need some sleep.”

“Not a problem, I'm glad we were able to help that bear cub! See you later Alex!” Judy said as she waved goodbye.

“Later Howler! Also thanks again for the help back there!” Nick exclaimed. As Alex made his way out of sight towards the exit he turned to Judy. “So we have time for one ride together. Which one do you want to go on? The tunnel of love?” the smug fox said in a joking manner.

Judy turned away nervously at the suggested ride and quickly responded, “No way... let's go on the Wind Tunnel ride! I kind of wanted to try it at least once.” Nick sighed and agreed to go on the Wind tunnel again. He hoped deep down he would be able keep his head inside the police car tomorrow at work.  
Meanwhile in the Spirit World...

A mysterious figure stood at the entrance of the park having viewed the events that transpired from afar. “Seems things are going to get interesting...that wolf showed a lot of promise and so did the two cops...I kind of feel bad for tricking that dumb bear spirit but he made for a marvelous Grudge. It's too bad I wasn't able to capture it... I'll need to report this immediately...” The figure said to himself as he walked away laughing.


	9. Approaching Danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting more confident in himself Alex is unaware of that he is being targeted. Meanwhile a criminal makes an impossible escape and only Nick and Judy can continue the chase.

Zootopia – Spirit Chronicles

Chapter 9 – Approaching Danger

Alex was exhausted from his latest adventure. He had to work from home for two days in a row because he was too sore to get out of his apartment. Luckily as a programmer working from home is easy with his trusty laptop. It was also a long trek to Icicle Gaming, the company he worked for located in beautiful Tundratown. The company designs games for smartphones and seeing the joy that their games being to other animals fills him with a sense of purpose. Not wanting to work from home three days in a row, the wolf was getting dressed for work. It was a cloudy day outside, which was his favorite type of weather. The wolf didn't like things too hot or else his fur would start to shed a bit.   
The excursions and fights he has faced so far have also increased his confidence in life if only a little. The wolf didn't feel as scared of larger animals as he once was, he felt like he didn't need to carry mace around. Facing down a deer monster-truck and a giant baseball bear sounds a lot worse than facing a normal sized tiger or lion. If it wasn't for meeting Nick and Judy he wouldn't be as brave as he was feeling at this moment. With a smile on his face and his laptop in his messenger bag, he began his commute to Tundratown. 

Getting on the bus near his apartment building it took a few stops to reach Tundratown. The cold wind blowing against his fur felt refreshing. He didn't think the cold was that bad but he could see it unnerve animals not built for the cold weather. It was a few blocks until he reached the Icicle Gaming building. His co-workers were almost entirely prey animals, in fact predators doing technical jobs such as these was a rare sight. From what he saw, most predators prefer to do jobs that suited their natural abilities such as law enforcement, security guards, military, and other jobs like that. Yet Alex had an intelligent mind and when he saw he had a talent with computers he embraced it and made it all the way to where he is now.   
Work went normally as it could, he felt very comfortable there despite being the only wolf working. It was their love of games and computers that Alex felt united with his co-workers. It also helped that with Alex's docile nature the prey animals felt at ease some even going as far as to call him an honorary prey animal. Yet Alex was always too nervous or shy to ever try to become better friends with his co-workers deciding to keep his personal and work life separate. Saying goodbye he left the office and headed back to the bus stop to head home.

On the way to the bus stop another animal stopped to approach him, a woman he had never seen before. She was a female mountain goat, with white fur and lovely horns ticking from the top of her head. She was wearing a short blue dress that fit her somewhat skinny body for a mountain goat. A light blue winter scarf adorned her neck as well. It was like she was a model the way she walked towards the wolf fearlessly with determination in her eyes. “Hey you wolf, Can I talk to you for a moment?” she asked abruptly.

Nervously Alex responded, “Uh..sure how can I help you miss?” He wasn't used to being approached by strangers but she seemed like a safe person to talk to.  
“My name is Bianca, and I couldn't help but notice you carry a certain aura about you. Can you perhaps see what cannot be seen? I've never felt a spirit like yours before. You see I have a gift as well, I've been able to see spirits as a child and I am able to sense those with strong spirits. I think you might have the gift as well.” she said calmly.

“Wow... really? Wow you must be a psychic like Madam Lutra!” the wolf said shocked. He never expected to hear something like this from a stranger. Alex could feel it a bit as well. This woman had a certain air about her somewhat supernatural. “My name is Alex and you are right I've been able to see spirits as well.”

“Well now Alex, I'm glad to find someone else like me. Animals like you are so rare even in this big city. Tell me have you ever seen any blue sphere like objects? I call them spirit gates, they are the intersection of our world and the world beyond.” she asked.  
“Spirit gates? So that's what they are called? Yep I've seen them! I accidentally got dragged into that world one day and somehow found my way back here. I've seen poor spirits in trouble called Grudges and I made it my mission to help them so they can rest in peace.”

“Wow you know a lot, I'm impressed. Let me cut to the chase. I'm investigating the spirit world like you are... I found a spirit gate nearby. Would you mind accompanying me in there for a bit? If we don't hurry it might disappear and we might miss our chance.” she asked batting her eyes and giving a gently smile.

Alex felt like he really wanted to help her but he promised Judy and Nick that he wouldn't travel there without them. On the other hand this might be a chance to make a new friend and learn even more about the spirit world. It was also true that the gate might disappear over time so it would be better to explore as soon as possible. Nodding to himself he said, “Sure I'd love to, do you mind if I make a quick phone call on the way?”

“Not at all, let me show you where I found it” Bianca said calmly as she lead the way through the Tundratown streets. As they walked Alex tried desperately to call Judy and Nick but their phones went straight to voicemail. They must have turned it off for work or something to that effect. He ended up sending a text message that he found a gate in Tundratown and to hurry when they can. The two soon came upon the spirit gate, in the middle of a snow field near a frozen river on the very edge of the icy part of Zootopia. “Please go on ahead, I need to make a phone call as well or else my family will worry about me.”

Alex nodded and entered the spirit gate ahead of the mountain goat girl. Bianca proceeded to dial a number on her phone and began speaking to the animal on the other end. “This is Bianca, I found the target, he was extremely gullible and trustworthy, it was way too easy to lure him here. I'll find out if he is worth keeping around like you wanted, I think he may be useful to our cause.” The animal on the other end seemed happy with the response he just received from Bianca. “I'll report back soon, bye.” She then leapt into the gate meeting up with Alex on the other side, who was unaware of the intentions of Bianca. 

Meanwhile, about an hour before Alex met Bianca, a pair were driving through the streets of Zootopia. It was none other than the infamous cop duo of Judy and Nick who were currently on duty. The first bunny and fox cops of the ZPD. Judy was behind on the wheel driving the car, the windows were rolled down so they could feel the wind from the police car's acceleration. Unfortunately Nick was sticking his head out of the window from the passenger's side. His tongue wagging, trying to reproduce the rush from the Wind Tunnel, the infamous ride of Wild Times. Suddenly Nick felt a sharp tug on his tail as it got yanked really hard by a certain bunny. “Nick get your head back in the car! Also I've been driving for a while... when is it going to be my turn!?” she exclaimed.  
Nick rubbing his tail that was so rudely tugged on, pulled his head back in and said, “I won fair and square you are just going to have to wait your turn. Also did I mention you suck at rock, paper, scissors and tic-tac-toe? I can't believe I won that much air time from you.” He said smuggly grinning.

Judy was stewing with anger, they had bet time on who can enjoy the passenger's side by playing different games. Judy keep trying to double or nothing to get the time back but Nick's natural ability to win at simple games saw to it that her dreams were crushed. Both were addicted to that Wind Tunnel ride that caused so many traffic accidents after it opened. They agreed to take turns driving so the other can replicate the Wind Tunnel on duty but Judy lost almost all of her time the past two days to Nick. Even making huge sad eyes at Nick had no effect in persuading him to give her the passenger spot of the police car. 

Suddenly a call came from dispatch, the portly cheetah on the other end calling all police cars to catch a criminal on foot who stole from a local jewelry store. Nick and Judy were close to where the subject was last spotted so Judy started the siren and sped onward to find the criminal. Clawhauser provided more details that it was a raccoon who stole the jewels and was reported wearing a brown shirt and jeans. Nick stuck his head back in the car. It was time to get to work and both the fox and bunny gave each other a look that it was time to be serious.

The two were soon joined by other police cars in the area and through their communication via radio with other officers they were able to find the raccoon at the bazaar in Sahara square. Getting off on foot they headed through the bazaar in hot pursuit of the raccoon. Their walkie-talkies gave out more information as they gave chase. A fellow rhino officer saying that he found the suspect and has him cornered in an alley. It sounded like the ZPD was about to make their arrest but suddenly the rhino reported the suspect disappeared in thin air.

Judy and Nick eventually found the alley where the rhino officer Rhinowitz reported the suspect's disappearance. The rhino was in a panic, he claimed the raccoon was there one minute and was gone in a flash. The alley had no escape routes, no windows, no signs of digging, no small cracks to slip through, it was literally impossible to escape. The only way out was through Rhinowitz and still somehow the raccoon got away. The senior officer told Judy and Nick to keep searching the area as he dashed off to see if the raccoon somehow slipped by him. 

Judy looked at Nick, both of them realizing where the raccoon disappeared to. It was plain as day to them. A spirit gate was at the end of the alley and the only explanation was that the raccoon was able to enter and escape. If a criminal was able to enter the spirit world, it would be nearly impossible for the ZPD to catch them, they would be able to get away with all sorts of crime. Nick and Judy were the only ones that could catch the suspect now.  
Judy headed to the spirit gate but was stopped by Nick.

“Carrots wait! Are you sure we should just go through with this? Shouldn't we get Alex first? We all promised we would enter that world together!” Nick said with a worried look. Alex's natural abilities helped them out twice in the spirit world and he felt having him around would be a big help.

“I know that Nick but we have no time! If we don't follow him now we might never catch up! We are already wasting time talking. We can manage this on our own... we have to... so please! Let's go!” Judy said adjusting her uniform and running into the spirit gate in hot pursuit. 

“Darn it! You dumb bunny!... Ragh... Wait for me...” Nick said adjusting his tie and running into the spirit gate. Judy and Nick hoped they could still catch up to the criminal and that they could handle any surprises that might occur on the way.


	10. Going Primal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex finds himself caught in a deadly trap.

Zootopia – Spirit Chronicles

Chapter 10 – Going Primal

A wolf and mountain goat, predator and prey, together they explored the snowy Tundratown within the Spirit World. The sky was a shade of bright green, wisps of small spirits dancing about the snow happily, it was beautiful despite the silence and lack of other animals. Bianca led the way through the snow, she was eerily silent the whole time but Alex didn't mind. He wasn't much for conversation either but he was happy to know someone new who could visit this place. The wolf shyly spoke up, "So how long have you been coming to this world?"

"I've been here many times" she spoke as she continued to lead the way turning back slightly to make sure the wolf was keeping pace. "There is something special about this world...did you know that it affects our reality more than we think?" They were pretty far away from the gate they entered, as they crossed into a snowy forest. She continued, "Though these worlds are separate this place is on a higher plane of existence. Things that happen in this plane affects the lower plane of our world. For example in places were there are a lot of angry or vengeful spirits, I've noticed accidents that are far too coincidental to be normal in our reality. So called miracles in which other mammals claim to see the spirits of their dead relatives or cases where one can hear the voice of a lowed one that passed away are just one of the many ways this plane is affecting ours."

"Hmm that does make a lot of sense...I've had that experience, one of those vengeful spirits, a Grudge, dragged me and my friends into this place. It was so strong but we somehow managed to win thanks to the primal spirits!" he said happily adding to the conversation.

The mountain goat smiled as she stopped and gazed at the wolf analyzing him up and down. "Primal spirits you say? That would be the only way you would have been able to fight against something on this plane. You see I have been blessed as well, by the primal goat spirit Pan. I conjecture that their power allows us to more directly interact with this plane and give us the power to defend ourselves. I am sure that the better we are in tune with our souls the stronger we can become in this place."

"Wow I am learning so much! This is so cool! You are amazing Bianca!" Alex said amazed wagging his tail. Thoughts such as how come this woman knows so much about this place, or why is she telling him this never crossed his mind. Oblivious he continued to talk to her, "I agree, I feel a lot stronger in this place all thanks to the primal spirit that blessed me, Fenrir. This might sound strange but the reason I want to explore this place is...well...I want to help these spirits move on. I don't want them to become Grudges, those monsters and kill other animals in our world...I was almost the victim of an attack and I don't want anyone else to almost get killed like I was."

"A noble goal and a lofty one at that but what if there was another way you could help?" Bianca said smiling wryly, her gaze becoming cold. "Those grudges are strong...strong enough to affect our reality as you have witnessed. If we could capture them and use their energy we could break the boundaries between this plane and ours."

Alex took a step back a bit shocked at that kind of response. "Break the boundary? What would that do?"

"Imagine it my dear wolf...If we can make this plane and our plane one...it would such a wonderful world. No more fighting between predator and prey. Only those strong enough to be blessed by a primal spirit would rule over everyone else. No more segregation between species... a world where as long as one has a strong spirit they can be stronger than anyone regardless of the species they were born."

Alex thought about what Bianca was saying. It sounded crazy to him but he could see her point. If animals had the power to wield weapons born from their souls then there would be no more hate between predator and prey. "Well I guess that is true but those who have strong souls and blessed by primal spirits...they might abuse their power even kill. Not to mention those Grudge monsters would run rampant in our world causing so much chaos and destruction."

Bianca looked coldly at Alex, colder than the sharp blizzard like breeze that just blew past them. "So? Who cares if the weak die out? They were never meant to live in the first place if they can't survive. Sure it would be chaotic at first but those who are blessed by primal will take control! We will provide order and build a world where only the strong survive just as nature intended!"

Alex stepped back, he was genuinely scared of this conversation, he backed up into a tree like a cornered prey as Bianca inched closer and closer towards him. "Th...this is crazy... is that really what you want to do?"

"Of course...and we would like you to join us Alex... you have a very strong soul...you would be a valuable asset to our group and the world we are trying to create." she said offering her hoof.

"And...if I refuse?" Alex said shaking nervously.

"Then I will kill you of course..." she said plainly. "Stop your nervous shaking and twitching...your actions are getting irritating...I hate weak people but you have the potential to become very strong...so we would like you alive if possible."

The killing aura this woman was emanating was chocking. She felt so powerful, like her very soul desired him dead. Yet Alex knew what she was saying was crazy, such a world shouldn't exist...and he wasn't going to let them do what they wanted. "S..sorry I do believe a world like that is needed... I know that things aren't the best between predator and prey but we come so far! We live in Zootopia for crying out loud! So many predator species and prey species are living happily side by side. We may have our differences but we work through them!"

"Such naive talk and idealism! You do not understand the true cruelty of Zootopia or the world for that matter... but you leave me no choice... I will give you a sporting chance... draw your weapon...and I will show you just how pathetic you truly if you believe you have a chance against me!" Bianca said as her soul visibly raged from within her body. The glowing of her soul concentrated withing the center of her body as a ball of malicious red light appeared. Grabbing it she produced her weapon, a large gold pan flute.

Alex didn't want to back down from this fight. Even though he was scared he had to stand up for himself. He finally realized this was all part of her plan...finding him, taking him to this world, luring him out in a forest far away from the gate they entered from. Alex had little chance of escaping and his only choice seemed to be to fight and survive. Deep down he didn't want to hurt her but perhaps he could disable her and make an escape.

As Alex drew the broadsword from his soul he gazed at her weapon, the pan flute. It was his first time seeing such an unconventional thing as a weapon. Based on his logic Alex assumed that it would use sound based attacks that would affect him greatly due to his sensitive wolf ears. It seemed his only choice would be to charge in before she could use it.

Gripping his sword he yelled as he charged up to her. His goal to swing the pan flute out of her hooves. His body felt the power of his soul coursing within him, that familiar burst of speed and adrenaline, the feeling of strength that Fenrir blessed him with. He swung his sword in an arc in front of him but Bianca quickly jumped back dodging it completely. She then charged at him with her head first, her goal being to use her natural horns to hurt the wolf. Alex didn't have time to react and felt intense pain from the mountain goat's horns on his torso. The force of the impact sent him flying backwards, hitting a nearby tree with a thud. It was the first time he had gotten hurt in the spirit world. While the pain was intense he felt like he was recovering quicker than he normally would if it happened in real life.

As the wolf tried to get up, Bianca took the opportunity to continue her assault. Placing her mouth on the pan flute horrible sound emanated in the air. It hurt Alex's ears just as he thought it would as he covered his ears to try to dull the sound, dropping his weapon in the process. This was a big mistake as Bianca took the time to run up and kick the wolf right in the jaw.

Alex was taking a heavy beating as he tried to get back up only to get knocked down again over and over. Alex started to taste blood in his mouth... his body was getting banged up by her attacks. "Such a weak and pathetic wolf...is this all you can do? I'll give you one more chance... join us or else..."

Spitting the blood out of his mouth and onto the pure white snow he managed to grab his sword and stand upwards using it as support. "No... I won't let you create such a world!" he said in a faint voice. There was no way to get close to her without hearing the noise of her flute, he was on the verge of defeat. His vision blurry, he could feel his body wanted to shut down. It didn't help that cold was starting to get to him as well as his fatigue.

"Pathetic...I guess I should stop going easy on you and just put you out of your misery..." she said as she quickly charged at him head first knocking him away from his sword once again. She played her malicious melody once again. This time it wasn't affecting his ears but his body. It felt like the very wind was being manipulated and cutting him deeply like blades. Small cuts appeared around his body as she started to bleed from the wounds. The fabric of his clothing were being torn apart by the melody the goat played. He tried to get up with all his strength but he couldn't get up, his breathing heavy he became scared. Was this really how he was going to die?

Soon the goat stopped playing the melody and seemed satisfied with her work. "I think I'll let you bleed out and die a slow painful death... like the weak vermin you are... so much wasted potential..." she said as she slowly walked away.

Alex started to cry... even though it was pain to, his lungs were on fire, his body in intense pain. Small screams escaped from his mouth. He cried out from his soul, "I don't want to die... I don't want to die... I don't want to die... someone...please...save me..." The vision of the snowy trees he saw laying down in the snow soon started to fade to white...

"You can not die here my child!" a voice rang out in his ear. "Find your desire... your will to live and embrace it... feel the power of the wolf within your veins... it will grant you power... a dangerous power but it will let you live..."

The voice was none other than Fenrir communicating from afar directly to his mind. The power that he is goading Alex into tapping into, he knows the risks it has on the living. Neglecting to say that it might shatter his mind, that it might break him, and damage his body. Also not mentioning that he would not be able to determine friend or foe, that he might never recover. It was a dangerous gambit and not wanting to make the wolf doubt himself into using the power he is omitting these important details. For whatever reason Fenrir wanted Alex to live and overcome this trial.

Alex soon felt it, he felt the intense spirit of the wolf...the spirit of Fenrir. His wounds started to heal rapidly. His eyes snapped open with the eyes of a beast, a hunter. He growled viciously, his fangs bared as he turned over on his side standing on all fours as his ancestors once did. Claws planted firmly on the ground with a crazed look in his eye as he spotted the mountain goat, his prey, in the distance. Growling loudly, drool dripping from his mouth, the scrawny wolf was looking at his next meal. He was truly savage looking, tapping into the primal power of the wolf within his soul. He let out a loud howl causing Bianca to turn back in shock as she gazed at the wolf she thought was on his death bed. Alex let out a loud howl, a powerful howl that pierced the very soul, a signal that the hunt had just begun...


	11. Phantom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy confront the disappearing criminal but soon come face to face with an unknown organization.

Chapter 11- Phantom

Judy and Nick arrived in the spirit world safely after entering the gate. The once bustling marketplace in Sahara Square was now a ghost town. Not expecting police to chase after him the raccoon thief was not far from their starting location. Not wasting any time Judy quickly ran after the male raccoon, sitting near a stall and counting his loot. "ZPD! You are under arrest!" Judy shouted. The raccoon started to panic and bolted away from Judy. Nick followed shortly after Judy keeping her pace as they chased the thief through the stalls in the market.

The two were perfectly in sync, giving each other a quick signal to split up. Judy headed towards the left and Nick was going right to block any exits the raccoon might take. She reached for his stun gun before realizing that anything that uses electricity is useless in this world. Yet then she released and had an epiphany to just user her soul weapon since they are in this world after all. In no time she had her spear in hand, carrot shaped blade and all. Having the weapon in her paw also gave her the benefits of enhancing her physical abilities allowing her to quickly close the gab between herself and her target.

Nick did the same and summoned forth his bow and used his increased physical abilities to take the high ground. The fox was able to leap above the stalls and onto the roof of a nearby single story building. Soon he was high enough and was able to spot Judy and the raccoon heading into an open area. Readying his bow he shot an arrow right in front of the raccoon halting him in his tracks and allowing Judy to jump and tackle the raccoon to the ground placing the cuffs on the thief. With their target captured Nick headed back to the ground to meet Judy.

Judy grabbed the bag containing the stolen jewelry and soon spotted Nick jogging to meet her. "Thanks for the support fox!" she said happily.

"Good job capturing the crook partner!" Nick said to Judy saluting her before turning his attention to the raccoon. "Now then you have some questions to answer, like how you know about this place... well?"

The raccoon sighed before speaking, "Hmph I actually didn't really expect anyone to follow me in here but I guess those guys know what they were talking about...I guess it's time to use this like they told me to." Unbeknownst to Judy the raccoon had a small red jewel he gripped tightly in his paw. He kept it hidden from her by keeping his paw clenched around it while he was being cuffed. Dropping in on the ground he crushed it with his foot revealing a thick red mist. The mist obscured their vision and also made them cough. In the midst of the confusion the raccoon managed to escape from the cuffs, grab the loot from Judy and escape from the immediate area.

Soon their vision cleared as the mist started to seemingly dissipate. The mist was converging into one single point as it started to form into a creature. Judy spotted the raccoon in the distance telling him to stop where he was but the raccoon laughed. "Have fun with that monster losers!"

Before Judy and Nick could chase him the red mist creature was almost completely formed. It blocked their path as it screamed at them from the mouth that was starting to form. It was similar to the Grudges that they faced before but it was different. It didn't feel like a spirit, it didn't have a sorrowful air about it, it was just pure hatred. The mist creature soon finished forming and it looked almost strikingly like a lion on all fours.

"What the heck is this? It's made entirely out of that mist!" Judy said in shock.

"It looks like a lion... but... that mist doesn't it look familiar? It's like the stuff that comes out of those Grudge creatures when we wound them..." Nick said trying to analyze the creature.

"It doesn't look happy...and based on what that raccoon was saying it sounded like this was all a part of some plan didn't it?" Judy said trying to figure things out.

"I was afraid something like this would happen...we'll have to take it out just the two of us!" Nick said readying his bow. Judy in turn took a fighting stance with her spear.

The mist creature started to roar like a lion, it's roar emitting a powerful sound blast that pushed the fox and bunny with a large amount of force causing them to smack into the wall behind them. The blow wasn't as painful as it looked and the duo were able to recover quickly. Nick concentrated and shot an arrow at the lion but the arrow wasn't strong enough and bounced off. The once mist like creature seemed to be as solid as steel.

Judy rushed in with her spear trying to stab it with multiple strikes but all of her attacks were having no effect. It's 'skin' was much too strong to pierce through. The lion growled loudly before roaring again knocking Judy off of her feet and on the ground. Nick was sent flying in the other direction landing on his back with a loud thud. "What... the heck... is this thing!?" Nick said struggling to get up, his back aching from the pain.

Judy tried to get up but the lion saw the opportunity to strike her. Placing his large paw right on top of her body he pinned her to the ground with an extreme force. The ground began to crack beneath her as the lion exerted more and more force. She winced in pain, struggling it hard to breathe as she stared at the monster, it's angry glare piercing her soul.

Nick was in shock as he saw Judy in trouble, if he didn't do something soon she might die. An angry almost savage look came across his face, he bared his fangs shouting, "Get away from her! NOW!" Grabbing the string of his bow he pulled it back and a new arrow formed, a much larger one than before. The fear of losing someone he cared about granted him a new power for his bow. Using his sharp eyesight he aimed for the paw on top of Judy and shot the arrow with all his might, his soul crying out to save Judy. The arrow pierced straight through the paw of the monstrous lion slicing it clean off. The lion screamed in pain as it jumped back trying to maintain it's balance leaving Nick enough time to grab Judy and pick her up off the ground.

"Judy! JUDY! Are you ok!?" he said frantically shaking her a bit to wake her up. Judy almost passed out from the pain but she was able to recover thanks to Nick's quick save.

"Yes I'll be fine... thanks partner... let's finish this thing off..." Judy said as she gripped her spear. She couldn't let Nick show her up, she felt like she needed to contribute something even if it was a little bit.

"I'll cover you Carrots! Go for it!" Nick said as he readied another charged shot from his bow.

Judy ran up to the lion, whose missing paw was slowly being regenerated and jumped high into the air. The lion tried to run away but Nick shot the other paw with his arrow causing the lion to fall on it's face. Judy could feel Nick's support she knew they would triumph. Concentrating her feelings into her spear, it started to glow brightly. She spotted a small rounded jewel, white in color, hidden on the lion's back which seemed like a good as place as any to strike. She dove like a bird attacking it's prey and the spear hit the lion's jewel directly. It cracked instantly from the force of Judy's attack causing the lion to scream. The lion instantly disappeared into a mist cloud again, the jewel seemed to be holding it together. The cloud of mist which felt like pure hatred disappeared into the air and in a matter of seconds it's as if it ceased to be. There was no soul that was left behind like the other times they found a monster as well.

Breathing heavily, Judy jumped for joy. "Nick we did it! We really did it!" She then ran up to Nick hugging him tightly.

"We sure did Carrots! We sure did!" Nick said hugging her back. He was so scared a moment ago but now he was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Well...well... what an interesting bunny you are..." a mysterious female voice called out.

"The fox ain't bad either..." a male voice said with a slight Australian accent.

The cops broke their hug and looked around for the source of the voices and saw two figures on top of a roof of the nearby building. The male was a dingo wearing a wearing a vest with no shirt underneath showing his exposed brown fur. The male was about 4 feet tall, wearing an leather hat, cowboy boots and jeans. The male was also carrying a shotgun in his hand aiming it at the cops.

The female voice was a more bizarre and eerie sight to look at. She was a bunny... or so the outward appearance suggested. The female was not the size of a bunny, she was about twice the normal height of one. She was wearing a mascot outfit that looked like a bunny on the outside. It was an strange and somewhat scary outfit to look at. It looked like it was made from several different patches of fur of different colors and fluffiness. The eyes were just buttons and the mouth had a large zipper across it. The species of whatever female was inside was hidden.

"Well let us be the first to say congratulations... you were able to destroy our prototype...the Artificial Grudge... well done." the dingo said tipping his hat to get a better look at them. He could see the concerned looks on their faces, they were on guard and rightly so.

"Artificial...that was a fake? Who are you guys!?" Judy exclaimed.

"Aww such a cuteeee little bunny, she fought so fiercely too it's too bad she didn't get squished...she would have made a lovely doll or maybe a new suit...Hehehehehe...kyayayaya!" the girl cackled maniacally.

"Calm down Alice... you already have enough bunny dolls..." the dingo replied.

"Aww you are no fun Luke... it's been so long since I heard the screams of bunnies...the feeling of ripping their skin apart... stuffing them...sewing them up... it's soo much FUN! Hhahahaha!"

Judy felt sick to her stomach... her eyes glaring angrily at the woman in the bunny outfit. "You... you killed other bunnies!? For fun!? You... you are under arrest! So are you drop your weapon now dingo!" Judy said grabbing her spear.

"Carrots stop! Calm down." Nick said trying to stop her from getting to emotional. This was the perfect opportunity to get more information on the enemy. Also they had no idea how powerful they were if they knew about the creature that attacked them just now. They were also in no condition to fight again so soon after felling the lion.

"You are the one who should drop the weapon girl... I've got a clean show at your head... you too fox drop it." Luke said. Nick dropped his bow on the ground and he nudged Judy to do the same. Reluctantly she did as she glared at the pair on the roof.

"Hehehe this bunny... you look so cute...you might be my new favorite soon. Too bad we are under orders not to kill you... it would be so easy to snap that tiny little neck of yours! Kyahahaha!" the maniacal girl shouted.

"Calm down Alice... anyway we came to give you a warning... don't interfere with our organization Phantom any further... we are going to be doing some big things in this city and if you want to live long enough to see the new world we will create you better stay outta this place. We won't be as nice next we meet, ya understand mate?" Luke asked gesturing to Nick.

Nick did nothing but glare back in defiance. This organization, Phantom, wanted them out of this place...this was something big... much larger than they could have imagined.

The dingo smiled showing his fangs. "I like you boy... you got spunk... here a reward for beating our prototype..." he said tossing a familiar bag at Nick. It was the bag of stolen jewels the raccoon had. "That dummy had to steal extra jewelry than what we needed...we only needed these special clear crystals but he had to go and get extra for money or something..." the dingo sighed. The shotgun he held in his paw soon disappeared into light and entered his body. It was clear that the dingo also had a primal spirit's blessing. "Well it's been fun kids... if we see you again it will be the last time you breathe..." the middle aged dingo said seriously.

Nick waited for the opportunity and grabbed his bow and Judy her spear. They readied themselves to attack but Alice said something to shock them to the core.

"Oh? You want to play? I'd be more worried about your fluffy howly friend... he is probably being taken care of right now as we speak by that scary goat bitch...She was told not to kill him either but she's so very quick to anger... can't blame her though...hehehehe! Farewell my sweet yummy bunny! Come back and I'll play an extra special game with you! Hahahaha! Kyahahahaha!" Alice cackled as she walked into the shadows with Luke following behind.

Judy and Nick froze in place...if what Alice said was true...Alex was being targeted.

"You don't think he would break out promise and enter this place without us...right?" Judy asked Nick.

"You broke the promise just now so I wouldn't be talking Carrots... Let's hurry back...we need to give back these jewels and find Howler fast!" Nick said in a serious tone.

Sure enough as soon as they got back to reality their phones, which started working again, were ringing wildly. Messages from their wolf friend telling them about a gate in Tundratown and a nice woman who was also able to enter the Spirit World. Judy and Nick looked at each other with a grim expression on their faces. Could they find Alex before it was too late?


	12. The Beast Within

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex calls upon the hidden beast within himself in order to stay alive. His mind shattered, as he fights in a feral state. Can he survive? Will he ever recover?

Zootopia – Spirit Chronicles

Chapter 12 – The Beast Within

Alex growled viciously at Bianca, drool dripping from his maw. The once kind and timid wolf was now a vicious hungry wolf intent on catching and devouring his prey. Letting out the howl to signal the beginning of the hunt he slowly approached the mountain goat, walking on all fours as he stalked his prey observing her movements. Bianca did the same, she never saw anything like this before. For once she started to feel scared, she had no idea what the wolf was capable of in this state. Yet she remained calm, having a few more tricks in case he does anything funny.

Howls of wolves started coming from all directions, Bianca could hear footsteps in the snow. It seemed like an illusion but Bianca saw another wolf in the corner of her eye. She wondered if Alex managed to move fast enough to appear to her side, or if it was her eyes playing tricks on her. Multiple growling sounds came form all directions. She turned towards them only to see the wolf disappear between the trees of the wintry forest. Then she saw it there was more than one wolf in the area. It was a whole pack of wolves slowly approaching her, trapping her where she stood. The other wolves were glowing a soft shade of blue light and looked like common wolf spirits. The other wolves had no clothes but had different fur and strange tribal-like markings on their bodies.

The primal spirit within Alex awakened the alpha that slumbered deep within his mind. It called forth an astral wolf pack that was his to command and utilize to defeat his foe. He had become an alpha that was able to lead a pack of special wolf spirits. They responded to his howl and gathered before him. He who had absolute authority and exerted a commanding presence, the extreme opposite of who Alex truly was. His rational mind has long since shut off, floating in stasis. It can do not but watch and experience what was happening. It was an out of body experience. He had no control over his actions, all he could do was watch.

The 'alpha' of the pack let out a strong bloodthirsty howl that shook the air, rattling the branches of the nearby trees. It was the signal to attack, the other wolves got out in the open and started to encircle Bianca, growling and barking at her. There were around 12 astral wolves encircling her running faster and faster on all fours as they inched closer and closer to her. Alex watched from afar as his pack began the attack. One pounced at Bianca trying to bite her but she dodged in the nick of time. Bianca was starting to panic. She wasn't sure if they were illusions or if any contact with them would cause pain. There were too many of them, it was thirteen to one and the wolves had the numbers advantage.

She tried to play her pan-flute, the spiritual weapon that allowed her to give her enemies pain via noise. It was also able to manipulate the air around her and cut her foes with blades of wind. The astral wolves were unaffected by the horrible melody and continued to take turns striking her as they toyed with their prey. Desperate, she gathered up her strength and played a wind manipulation melody. One that would warp the air around her to prevent any harm, a barrier of wind. The wolves tried to strike through this barrier but disappeared on contact. The astral wolves charged one after the other but all disappeared after attacking the barrier.

Content as she finally narrowed the playing field down to just herself and Alex she charged at him with a maniacal look in her eyes. She couldn't believe that such a weakling was able to change so quickly. The very thought that someone like this wolf put her on edge ticked her off. She was supposed to be strong and no have to use so desperate a move. The barrier drained a lot of energy from her, she was getting tired from the fight. Keeping the barrier around her she hoped to tear the 'alpha' wolf to shreds once and for all.

Alex charged at Bianca, content that his pack did their part in tiring out Bianca. He went in for the kill running with all his might and leaping into the air straight into her barrier. The blades of wind started rapidly slicing the wolf causing his old wounds from earlier to reopen and causing more to appear. The mountain goat could not believe that this wolf was this stupid. Bianca smiled believing she had won. It was in this moment that Alex's eyes glowed bright red. All of his power concentrating within his body. The barrier started to weaken and soon the wolf managed to burst on through. The smug look that was once on Bianca's face was replaced with one of shock and horror. Alex's fangs dug deep into her right shoulder, his claws scratching her body as she fell to the ground from the sheer force of the attack. Bianca may have been powerful in her offensive and defensive but she had a rather frail body and one bit from Alex was all it took.

Alex continued to bite her arm as Bianca screamed loudly in pain. She never was in a situation like this, not since she was a child. She couldn't die like this, she had to use her escape plan. With whatever energy she had left she gathered the wind around her concentrating it into a single point and unleashed it all at once at Alex. The wolf was blown away from the force of the wind by quite a bit, but the wind was so weak it barely hurt him yet it was enough to give enough distance for Bianca to get up and start running. She ran and ran, grabbing her bleeding arm trying to stop the blood from leaving her body. She looked back at Alex in the distance and swore revenge under her breath for the humiliation she suffered today. Alex went to give chase but the wounds he suffered earlier from breaking Bianca's barrier started to take his toll. He laid low in the snow, that was slowly turning red and started to rest as he closed his eyes to conserve his energy.

Nick and Judy drove like crazy through the streets of Zootopia to reach Tundratown. Leaving the remaining stolen jewels with their fellow Rhino officer, they headed to the outskirts of the frozen part of town where Alex reported he would be. It didn't take long for them to find the spirit gate. The fox and bunny were still tired from their earlier encounter but they braced themselves and entered into the Spirit World once again.

"Look Carrots...paw prints...they are heading for the woods." Nick said looking at the snow. His natural fox instincts helping him to track other animals.

"Alright let's follow them... hurry!" Judy replied as she started running following behind Nick. "Dang it...I hope that dumb wolf isn't hurt..." she mumbled under her breath.

"Look! Some of his fur is in the snow... we must be on the right path..." Nick said after following the tracks through the woods for almost 10 minutes. Judy ran ahead of Nick to take a look around and let out a frantic scream.

"Look Nick! Over there! I see something it... it looks like blood!" she screamed calling out to him.

Nick ran over to Judy, with an extremely serious look on his face as he saw the blood-stained snow. It didn't take long to find Alex laying down in snow stained red all around him. His grey fur covered in cuts and bruises, the bleeding started to slow from what he was attacked with earlier but the wolf felt extremely weak.

"Alex! Alex are you ok!?" Judy said running up to Alex unaware of the state he was in. The wolf opened his eyes to see the bunny officer run up to him. The rational, normal Alex try to cry out 'Run Judy! Stay away! I can't control my body' but it was too late, the weakened wolf growled furiously reaching out to bite the paw that stretched out to touch him. Luckily Judy's quick reflexes prevented her from getting bitten.

"Alex!? What's wrong with you!? Why did you try to bit me?" She yelled at the wolf feeling a bit betrayed by her friend.

"Carrots get back... that look in his eyes... it's the same as Manchas..." Nick said running up to Judy to protect her standing between Judy and the wolf.

"No... it can't be... did he go savage? Did they use the Nighthowlers on him?" Judy exclaimed trying to rationalize the situation. The circulation of those poisonous flowers were monitored very closely by the government ever since the incident over a year ago. While they would be hard to get a hold of it wasn't out of the question if it was a criminal organization like Phantom behind it.

Alex manged to get up on all fours and although weak he looked ready to attack the fox and bunny. A deep sorrow resonated from his soul it was crying in pain. "No... this isn't how I wanted it to end...I wanted to live...but at the cost of not being able to control my body? That I would attack and kill anyone around me...no... No... please... someone... anyone... help me!" Alex's soul cried out hoping anyone would hear it.

"Alex... I don't understand... you can't control your body? Don't worry Alex we are going to help you." Judy said in a questioning state. She seemed to be able to hear the voice of Alex's soul somehow.

"Judy what are you talking about... why are you talking back to him he can't hear you... he's on the Nighthowlers remember?" Nick said angrily.

"Judy! If you can hear me... please... help me... I don't... want to hurt anyone..." Alex's soul cried out

"Nick... this isn't the Nighthowlers... it's something else... Alex...I can hear his voice... his soul is crying out to me...Look he isn't even trying to actively attack us... he's just standing there... someone poisoned by that flower would be at our throats..." Judy said rationally.

"Are you sure your ears aren't broken Judy? Oh well you do have a point..." Nick said as he relaxed his guard a bit.

Judy went up to Alex cautiously and touched his fur. "Alex you have to fight it... whatever is holding onto you... you have to be strong..."

Alex was summoning all of his willpower trying to stop himself from attacking them. Judy's words and actions were starting to break down the primal 'alpha' that felt like it was taking control of his body. He slowly but surely felt the feeling of the snow on the ground. He felt like he was regaining his senses and no longer had any intent of attacking anyone or anything. The feral look in his eyes were gone replaced with a look of relief.

"J...judy...N...Nick..." Alex said weakly... "I...am...sorry...I...made a mistake...I did horrible things...to you...I almost got...killed...I... am...so..scared..." He couldn't take it anymore, the wolf broke down crying. One mistake became another and like a chain reaction he was faced with a desperate fight for his own life. A mistake that broke his mind in two...that almost made him kill another mammal... that almost made him hurt his friends... he hated himself.

"Alex..." Judy said sadly as she watched Alex cry, unable to find the words to comfort him.

Alex cried and cried but as he did his wounds were opening again. His body was extremely hurt and beaten from the fight, he nearly collapsed from pain.

"Carrots...we have to get him to a hospital now...we can talk later...but Howls...I'm glad you are alive..." Nick said giving him a smile.

"Alex calm down, everything is going to be fine! We'll get you treated so please stay awake, keep breathing...slowly..." Judy asked Alex as she took her tie and parts of her sleeve and wrapped it around the open cuts on his body. Nick did the same making makeshift bandages to help stop the bleeding. The wolf was getting dizzy from the massive blood loss but he tried his best to stay conscious.

Nick and Judy were able to save Alex just in time but they were curious about what happened to him. They wanted to ask but it would have to wait until he is better, the wolf was in no state to talk. As they carried him back to the hospital thoughts lingered in their minds about Phantom and their plans. How would they be able to fight off an entire organization by themselves? Even if they took the help of a civilian like Alex they would be up against overwhelming odds. Could they protect the city? Could they stop whatever they were planning? Could they save the mammals of Zootopia from a threat that they were not aware of? They walked back silently, as these thoughts played over and over in their minds.


	13. Side Effects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes discuss their respective encounters with Phantom.

Zootopia – Spirit Chronicles

Chapter 13 – Side Effects

Alex was running, running through a snowy forest. He was running on all fours, alone in the wilderness as the cold winds roared and shook the tree branches above him. The lone wolf, struggling to survive came upon a gray-furred rabbit. The scrawny wolf was starving, having long left the safety of his pack and such a meal was a rarity. In order to survive he would have to eat it. The rabbit looked so cold and frightened he could not help but feel sorry for it, yet he was hungry. Why must the world be so cruel? Why must he kill others in order to live? These thoughts were quickly silenced by his gut growling with hunger and so it was decided.

Slowly he crept upon the bunny ready to pounce but suddenly an orange blur zoomed past him, a fox with a bright orange coat snatched his dinner away from him. Yet the fox didn't eat the bunny it was carrying it in his mouth as if protecting it from the wolf. Alex started barking and growling at the fox as if to curse him for taking his meal. The fox ran away with the rabbit still in his mouth at an almost unnatural speed, like it was running from impending danger. Suddenly the wolf felt a chill run through his fur and turned around and saw an ink black dark wolf towering above him. It was gigantic almost four times his size and it growled at him like he was the next meal. Alex bolted as fast as he could zipping through the trees to confuse the giant black wolf chasing him but it just barreled through the trees like it was nothing. His weak body couldn't take it and broke down. The black wolf placed one paw on top of his prey licking his maw before reaching down and biting down on Alex and it all faded to white.

Alex felt no pain, no sadness, the intense emotions faded away. "Wake up my child!" an ethereal voice rang out all around him. The wolf stirred and opened his eyes surprised he was still alive. The wolf woke up and saw an even larger wolf before him but it wasn't the one who was chasing him. They had meet before, Alex could not forget his icy blue fur, it was none other than Fenrir one of the primal wolf spirits, responsible for the souls of all wolves in the world. "I saw you were troubled in your dreams so I wanted to grant you a brief respite."

"F..Fenrir?", Alex said with a shock as he looked at the large wolf with awe.

"Your dreams are all too easy to read...you are afraid my child, afraid of the beast within you... the primal urge to hunt and kill..." Fenrir said as he stared at Alex unblinking.

"I didn't want...I didn't want to hurt anyone...I just wanted to save those poor souls who became those monsters but...everything is happening so fast..." Alex responded trying to stay calm.

"I do not have much time...listen my child...you must endure these hardships...you must grow strong...you must survive...please save them..." Fenrir said in a sorrowful tone as his great stature began to fade away into the white.

"Wait don't go! Fenrir!" Alex cried, reaching out his paw towards the great wolf.

Alex awoke to the sound of the heart monitor next to his bed. The wolf was covered in bandages from his neck down and was confined to his hospital bed. It was easy to figure out that he must be in a hospital and that Judy and Nick were able to get him here safely yet they were no where to be found. A large wave of fatigue soon washed over him. His bones and joints ached, the bandages were very constricting he couldn't help but pant from the heat. "Hello? Is anyone there?" he managed to cry out from his hospital room and soon an elephant nurse walked into the room with a shocked look on her face.

"Oh my goodness dear! You finally woke up! You've been out for about three days! I was starting to get worried." She said with a sigh a relief.

"Three...THREE DAYS!?" the wolf said in shock.

"You lost a lot of blood, we had to give you a transfusion and your wounds were terrible but they seem to be healing very fast. You should be ready to leave the hospital in a few more days but..what happened to you? I asked those nice little officers who brought you here but they said they had no idea and just found you out in the woods outside of Tundratown!" she asked the wolf.

Looking downwards with a sorrowful gaze he muttered, "I...was attacked...I had to defend myself so I fought back but..." suddenly the rush of vivid memories flooded his brain. The sight of his blood in the snow...the feeling of becoming a feral wolf, the thrill of a hunt... the feeling of biting down on that female goat...growling and trying to attack his friends. Alex felt dizzy all of a sudden stopping mid sentence to grab his head in pain. Those were awful terrible moments but for some sick reason he felt good about it. It felt natural to him...it gave him a rush that he never felt before. Fighting...hunting...the thrill of a life or death struggle... it felt addicting. He remembered the taste of the goat, how it felt to chew on her flesh, it was better than any bug meat he put in his mouth. Was this was it meant to be primal? Was this what his ancestors felt? This wasn't normal... he shouldn't feel this way...he had to stop these emotions. Alex was becoming frantic and restless like he needed to bite something, anything to stop this feeling. He stuck his claws out and growled at the nurse with his fangs bare. The nurse jumped back a bit frightened, she saw the look in the wolf's eyes... it reminded her of the Night-howler patients she tended to over a year ago. She ran out of the room in a panic to get the doctor. Alex grabbed his own head in pain, his heart racing furiously as he struggled to maintain his sanity. It all became too much for him and soon he passed out just as the doctor was about to enter the room.

The next few days were spent in silence. Alex came to his senses but the tension in the air was high. He felt calmer was better able to control that beast-like urge that swirled within him. With each day that passed he was better able to chain those feeling away and lock them deep within his core. He apologized profusely to the nurse he frightened but the nurse was still hesitant to approach him. On the day he was about to be released after his bandages have been removed, Judy and Nick came to visit. They were in their normal street attire, Judy was wearing a pink button down shirt and jeans while Nick wore his normal green Hawaiian shirt and tire with brown slacks.

"Hello Alex...sorry we didn't visit you earlier. You were in serious condition and wanted to give you some time to rest and recover but I think it's time to talk..." Judy said as she closed the door for privacy. Nick was staring at Alex in an assertive and aggressive tone. The wolf was confused as to weather the fox was upset at Alex or was concerned about the situation in general. "Now tell us everything, what happened to you? Why did you try to attack us and why did you try to attack that nurse?"

Alex gazed away from the pair of police officers and told them everything... about Bianca who was once friendly turned out to be working for some kind of group. A group that wanted to merge the spirit world and the real world together in order to create a world of true equality. A world where size wouldn't matter, where species didn't matter. A world where those with strong souls would survive. He explained how after rejecting the offer to join he was mercilessly attacked to the brink of death but was saved by tapping into a hidden power within himself. He went primal, and in that feral state he was able to push back and overtake his attacker causing her to retreat. The only reason Alex was able to get out of this state was because of Judy hearing his soul cry out for help. "Thank you Judy...when you defended me and tried to help me...I was able to break free from that horrible state...I feel it still stirring inside me..." the wolf said as he burst into tears. "I never wanted this...why is this happening to me... I don't feel like myself..."

Nick sighed and went ahead with his explanation of what happened to him and Judy. He explained that they were targeted and lured into a trap after trying to catch a jewel thief. A trap to test out an experimental monster set up by a group known as Phantom. The freaky bunny mascot character and the shotgun wielding dingo were members of that organization and let them off with a warning. Alex's story checked out with theirs as those two mentioned that Alex was being targeted by another member of their organization and that his life was in danger. "This is getting bad...if Phantom becomes more active this city will be in turmoil...Damn that Bogo! He kept questioning us about how we managed to recover some of the stolen jewels and about how we found the raccoon after he disappeared into thin air. Carrots here tried to tell him the truth but he looked at her like she was crazy. Thankfully I was able to come up with a colorful lie but still we aren't going to able to explain things if this stuff keeps happening." Nick said as he started stressing out pacing the room.

"They want to create a world of true equality..." Judy said in a questioning tone muttering to herself. She thought back to when she was a child, a small innocent bunny attacked by that large fox bully Gideon. If she had that power from her soul...if she was able to call it out...would she have used it to attack someone? Would having that kind of power keep everyone in check? Judy was starting to wonder about the kind of world Phantom would create but she shook her head and started thinking about what to do next. "It's too dangerous to go back there alone...Alex you need to be careful of anyone new you meet...it could be another trap. For now we need to stay away from that place. If we find a new gate we make sure we are prepared and we all go together. Please Alex... I know we both broke our promises not to go in there without each other but we can't break it anymore! Promise me!" she pleaded to the wolf.

"I swear... I won't go back without you two...promise..." Alex said nodding confidently.

"To be honest Fangs... I don't' think you should go back there at all... you are an untrained civilian, you don't have the physical prowess and you are inexperienced at fighting." Nick said seriously. Alex's ears dropped as he heard the fox's speech. Everything he said was right on the nose. "Besides, when I saw you bite at Judy...I..."

"Nick he wasn't himself! Besides I'm fine see?" Judy said smiling and hopping around the melancholy fox.

"Well anyway...Carrots and I will investigate Phantom, you should lay low Fangs and let us know if you see anyone suspicious." the fox said as the wolf nodded in response.

"Later Alex! Try to keep that primal side of you in check, don't want to have to lock you away." Judy said jokingly but was actually quite serious.

"Sorry...see you guys later..." the wolf said saddened as his visitors left. He was surprised they didn't take out their anger on him. How could they be so forgiving and understanding. Alex felt bad for putting everyone through this all because of his dumb mistake. He was told to lay low but he had to do something... Alex flipped through his phone and sent out some emails to his boss and co-workers. He was going to work from home for a while to recover yet part of him wanted to improve himself. Perhaps he should join a gym or take a self-defense class or two just in case he got attacked. With that thought he searched the internet for such places not knowing that this decision to do so will introduce another wild change in his life.


	14. New Experiences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex tries to get stronger and ends up going into a gym for the first time.

Zootopia – Spirit Chronicles

Chapter 14 – New Experiences

"Well this is the place... can't believe I'm actually going in here..." the shy scrawny wolf muttered to himself. Alex was wearing a red short sleeved shirt with three white stripes running vertically along the shirt itself. He was wearing some baggy gym shorts that were comfortable for his legs to move in, his brown-furred tail able to swing back and forth easily. Along his neck was a dark blue choker covering up the fur-less area of his neck, the silver necklace his father gave him tucked underneath his shirt. Clutching the necklace hidden under his shirt he took a deep breath. If Alex were to describe the feeling it would be like entering a dungeon that was higher than your current level.

His legs were shaking a bit as he took smaller and smaller steps towards the towering building in front of him. A red sign that said 'The Muscle Den' glaring down on him as if judging him unworthy. The ominous clouds overhead adding to the fear the wolf felt as he slowly entered the gym itself. It was a place that catered to all mammals looking to exercise and stay fit. They even had a section for smaller animals like mice and shrews called the 'Mini Muscle Den' which Alex found cute. He briefly thought about what it would be like inside, his mind began to wander as he didn't look where he was going his nose collided with what felt like a brick wall.

Alex stepped back and stared at the 'brick wall' that was so cruelly placed four feet from the entrance to the gym. It was a large and very athletic looking cape buffalo with blue fur wearing a black tank top and pants. He looked down and snorted at the wolf as if wondering what kind of speck bumped into him. "S-sorry sir." Alex said intimidated of larger animals than him. "I'm new here...so...I...um..." he said nervously as the bull stared daggers at him.

"I don't care...move..." he said in a manly commanding tone as he pushed past the wolf with his large stature. Alex was easily pushed aside as the large cape buffalo headed outside. As he watched the intimidating man leave his head started to hurt...a lot. The primal 'alpha' inside him was stirring. Being pushed around so passively, being so unassertive in his dominance, these were rattling the cage of the alpha wolf. Yet the feeling soon went away. Alex felt the presence disappear more and more as the days passed. It was as if the side effects were slowly wearing off. He was able to almost completely control his primal urges once again.

After going up to the counter and talking with the sales rep and getting a so called 'deal of a lifetime' membership speech, the wolf agreed to sign up for a month long free trial. After getting an access key card and complementary towel and water bottle he set off to the gym itself. It was full of different equipment for large weights, treadmills, ropes, bikes, and pretty much anything needed to exercise. He could see elephants lifting things with their trunks, rhinos bench pressing, some pigs doing cardio on a treadmill, but it all seemed so very intimidating. "Maybe I should pay for a personal trainer or something..." he mumbled to himself as he thought about it.

Someone headed towards the wolf who looked like a lost child. "Yo new guy! Need some help?" he said calmly. Alex turned towards the owner of the voice to see a young male cheetah. He was about 6ft 5 inches tall with the typical yellow fur and black spots cheetah are known for. The male was quite athletic and was wearing clothes to show it off which included shorts and a sleeveless white tank top. Judging by his appearance it looked like he was young in his early 20s.

"Huh? Me?" Alex said nervously as the cheetah walked up next to him. Looking up to make eye contact he could see the cheetah's brown eyes as well as his friendly and genuine smile, a rare sight to behold. "Sorry... um...well... this is my first time here and I'm a bit nervous. I don't really know what to do and so I was thinking of hiring a personal trainer or someone who could help me."

"Relax, chill dude! Don't bother with the personal trainers here they can get expensive. I can show you the ropes and you can figure out what works best for you. It'll take some practice but I can definitely help you out! I practically live in this gym haha!" the stranger said grinning showing off his teeth.

"Wow that's very kind of you... but I don't want to impose..." Alex said shyly.

The overly friendly cheetah placed his arm around the wolf, "Nonsense I insist! What's your name by the way? My name is Kevin, Kevin Clawhauser."

"I'm Alex Lykos... it's nice to meet you." Alex said nervously. He felt very uncomfortable he never had anyone he just met be so buddy-buddy. His personal space felt violated, his sensitive nose can smell the sweat coming from the cheeath and he hoped it wasn't rubbing off on himself. The way he acted reminded him of those jocks in high school who were always so overtly causal with each other.

"Alright then Alex, let's get started!" the cheetah said practically dragging the poor wolf unintentionally to the nearest machine. The cheetah was very patient teaching him the proper techniques, basic breathing and letting Alex go at his own pace. Despite the stereotype that cheetahs are fast and impatient, this cheetah was slow and careful. It was the complete opposite of Judy's intense training. Perhaps the fighting in the spirit world helped him out a bit physically. As he went through the workout he broke his personal push up record. His new record was one! It was quite an accomplishment for the hardcore geek who was almost joined at the hip to his laptop and video games.

The two decided to take a break from exercising and started to talk as they sat down on a nearby bench. Taking a sip from his water bottle the cheetah asked the wolf, "So tell me about yourself, Alex, like what do you do for a living?"

Alex was panting out of breath as he took a sip of water from his bottle as well. He wasn't as tired as he usually would be strangely enough. "Well, I work for Icicle Gaming, I make games for smartphones. Before I joined I was a freelance programmer, I even helped create that infamous Dancing with Gazelle app that's still popular for some reason."

"Wow that's so cool! Ugh my stupid cousin can't get enough of that app, he used to put my face in it and make me dance with Gazelle. It was so embarrassing..." the cheetah said sighing. "So you must like gaming huh?"

"Yep, I'm a total nerd. I love video games, computers, programming, pretty much anything in the nerd culture. Someone like me must be so out of place here." he said giggling to himself.

"No way! Everyone is welcome here! Soon you will be right at home!" Kevin said grinning to the wolf.

"But...I am getting sick of being so weak all the time...I want to get stronger." Alex said in a serious tone. The cheetah wondered what he meant by that, those words felt like they had an underlying message that would be hard to understand. Alex noticed that he was being stared at oddly by Kevin so he quickly changed the subject. "What about you Kevin, what do you do and what kind of stuff do you like?"

"I'm a junior at Zootopia University, I'm studying to be a detective one day so I'm getting a decree in criminal justice. Remember that cousin I mentioned earlier? He's actually a police officer when I was younger and it kind of inspired me to do the same. Though I am not sure what happened to him but he got fat... and I mean fat... he used to be so in shape but now it's like he's living on donuts! He's can't even run fast anymore it's like a disgrace to cheetahs!" Kevin said starting to shout and sound aggravated as he got off track. "I tried dragging him here but he weighs a ton...ugh one day I'll break him down and get him back in shape!" he said raising his paw into a fist in the air as if swearing an oath to someone. Alex admired his passion but felt that this guy was either way to into exercise or really looked up to his cousin and cared for his well being. The wolf chose to believe the latter.

"Anyway... in my spare time I like exercising, hanging out with friends, I just turned 21 so I can finally hang out in night clubs and bars. I like video games as well so if you want to send some of your games my way I'll be happy to play test them for you haha!" he said smiling.

"Haha! I just might send some your way. Though I should ask my friends who work at the ZPD if they know your cousin." Alex replied.

"Wow you know people in the ZPD?" Kevin asked.

"Yep, would you believe I know the first bunny and fox officers on the ZPD? Their names are Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde." Alex said happily.

"You know those two!? My cousin talks about them all the time! You've got to introduce me to them sometime! Maybe I can get an early edge when I join the ZPD in the future!" The cheetah said enthusiastically. "Whoa! Look at the time! Break time is over! Let's finish up our workout!"

"Ugh...if we have to..." Alex said. Despite everything going well part of him hated himself for doing labor intensive activity such as exercise. The two completed their workout though Alex noticed that Kevin can't help by show off how strong he is. It was kind of irritating but it was probably something that couldn't be helped. If Alex was that buff he might be inclined to do the same things though it would be super embarrassing for him to do so. The wolf hated to be the center of attention and preferred to be in the background.

"You're a pretty cool wolf Alex, we should keep in touch! Let's hang out some more and if you see me in the gym I'll happily work out with you!" The cheetah said smiling. At first Alex thought this was too good to be true that this might be another trick like Bianca but deep down he didn't feel like the cheetah had any ulterior motives. He was just an overly friendly and determined cheetah.

Alex exchanged phone numbers with Kevin. "Thanks... you're pretty cool too! Thank you so much for everything today. It was fun and I learned a lot. See you later!" he said as he left the gym. Alex stared at his phone as he walked out, his tail wagging happily. He actually made a new friend... and it was all on his own. Perhaps life was finally handing him a reward after all of the crap he just dealt with like his near-death experience.

As he walked home Alex noticed a young doe, a female deer in front of him drop something from her purse. Being the kind-hearted soul he was, Alex quickly picked up the money that had fallen from her purse and walked up to the doe. "Excuse me Miss! You dropped some money from your purse." he said extending his paw to hand her the money.

The doe turned around, the look of fear in her emerald colored eyes took Alex by surprise. She was dressed very cute, she had a red flower band tied behind her right ear and was wearing a nice pink floral dress. The doe also had short and light brown fur and was holding the aforementioned purple colored purse which was most likely a designer brand. The doe who was a few inches taller than Alex suddenly screamed "W-WOLF! AAHH Get away from me please!"

He was starting to get stares from other citizens as the doe was making a scene. It looked like he was terrifying the poor girl form afar which was definitely not the case. If Alex couldn't calm her down he might get arrested based on predator profiling. "Please clam down.." he said in a calm reassuring voice. "I just want to return your money... I am very sorry if I frightened you..." the wolf said bowing his head down and offering the money to the girl with both hands.

The doe quickly grabbed the money and walked away as Alex hung his head in shame waiting for her to walk far enough out of his sight. This wasn't the first time he had a predator and prey situation like this. It was usually a misunderstanding but it still hurt none the less. Alex wondered in he really was that scary looking to other prey species. He then wondered what he must have looked like when he was in his primal, feral state. Shaking his head to try to push those memories and thoughts aside the wolf took a different way home. The day started out positive but now Alex felt a bit depressed.

A bit later the cheetah Alex met earlier was walking back to the Zootopia University campus to his dorm. He was greeted by students as he entered the campus and seemed to be a well-known and upstanding student. It was strange as he was walking home from the gym after meeting Alex he could have sworn he saw a blue sphere like object as he walked through the downtown. He took a double take when he saw it but it vanished from his sight when he did. The cheetah felt a little light headed, he might skip hanging out with his friends at the bar tonight and sleep in, he felt a bit more tired than usual.


	15. Day with Cheetahs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex visits the ZPD with Kevin and meets Kevin's cousin Benjamin.

It was 7 am and a certain wolf was fast asleep after a long night of work mixed with the occasional video game or two on the side while he waited for his programs to compile. He only went to bed about 4 hours ago but it was a well deserved rest. Suddenly his phone starts vibrating and the groggy wolf wakes up and manages to reach for his phone to find out who was messaging him at this ungodly hour of the morning. His lupine eyes widened as he saw the name on the screen. It was the cheetah he met yesterday, Kevin Clawhauser. Eyes focusing he skimmed the text message, 'Hey where are you? It's time to exercise! Hurry up and get to the gym!'.

Alex's muscles were sore from what he did yesterday, it hurt him to even get up from his bed. Texting back he replied, 'Sorry I am super tired and my body is sore. Besides I went yesterday, how often do I have to go?'.

It didn't take long for the cheetah to reply, 'No excuses!' followed by a bunch of angry bear emoticons. 'You will be coming to the gym at 7 am for at least 6 days a week if you want to receive my training!'

Six days a week!? Alex couldn't believe what he read. He wanted to get stronger and increase his stamina to fight in the Spirit World but this was hell. It seemed like Kevin was actually a rabid Judy in disguise...another health nut. He didn't want to disappoint his new friend either. "Damn it! This is so not my day!" he yelled out loud to himself as he rolled out of bed in nothing but his boxers landing on the floor with a thud as per usual. Hastily getting dressed he left his apartment and with a zombie like gaze in his eyes he started heading for the gym.

Thoughts of revenge filled his mind as he was subject to what the wolf would consider cruel and unusual punishment. The nice cheetah from yesterday was a veritable drill sergeant. Alex found himself doing double the amount of work he did yesterday, he even had to repeat it if he was doing it halfheartedly. He would even get yelled at for all the loud yawning he did after each exercise the cheetah put him through. Soon enough the end of the workout came and the cheetah's exercise freak mode has ended returning to his normal self.

Alex was staring daggers at Kevin angry at his disturbed morning as he sat on the locker room bench drenched in sweat. All those wasted dreams and slumber to rejuvenate his mind were stolen away by this spotted thief. Yet this was one thief he couldn't call the cops on and as much as he wanted to strangle the cheetah it wasn't in his nature. The wolf bottled up his frustrations to be unleashed at a later date, most likely in therapy after the emotional and physical trauma he was put through. "Is something wrong Alex?" Kevin said unaware of Alex's bottled up anger trying to surge to the surface.

"N-no it's nothing, just didn't expect you to text me and I didn't expect to get my butt kicked in the gym after yesterday...I think I can stand..." Alex said as his skinny legs started wobbling and finally standing in place. Perhaps he was exaggerating a bit for dramatic effect but none the less he was tired as heck.

"Haha! You will be fine just make sure you stay hydrated. Oh yeah I was going to head over the visit my cousin Benjamin after this. Wanna come with? Maybe you could introduce me to Nick and Judy as well?" he said smiling as he offered the invitation. A visit to the ZPD would prove fruitful, he hasn't heard anything from those two after they visited him in the hospital. If he was lucky and they were not on patrol he could ask him how their investigation was going into Phantom. It would have to be in secret of course, he could never involve someone like Kevin into this mess.

"Sure, it's been a while since I met up with them. Let me just finish changing out of these sweaty clothes first." After that workout Alex felt more awake and energetic for some reason despite how his body felt. It was a good thing he brought extra clothes to change out of. He had flash backs from middle school and high school. It was so embarrassing to change clothes in front of other guys. Always the small and puny predator he would get teased a lot so he would always make sure to get there early and change before anyone else. Now that he was an adult it should be easier but he can't shake those memories. Kevin started changing as well and as the athletic cheetah turned away Alex took the chance and changed quickly. Putting away his sweaty exercise clothes and putting on his green short sleeved hoodie and brown cargo pants. The cheetah finished changing as well putting on a red Zootopia University shirt and some blue jeans. The two left the gym and headed to the ZPD's first precinct where Benjamin, Judy, and Nick worked.

As they began their nice and relaxing walk (compared to the earlier exercise this was a dream come true for Alex), Kevin was curiously staring at Alex. "Hey Alex, Can I ask you a question? What's with the collar around your neck? It seems a little weird to me but looks cool." Damn this cheetah hitting a sensitive subject in the first hit.

Alex's mind tumbled but soon recovered from this critical hit. "Well my aunt gave this to me when I was little and ever since then I loved wearing them. I think they are very stylish." Alex said proudly despite having near zero fashion sense in his body.

"Never thought about it but maybe it is stylish. I'm not into things like that, girls at the University think I'm fashionably handicapped. They complain I wear too many exercise clothes but it's what I feel most comfortable in." The cheetah replied back.

"Haha I'm inclined to agree. I like wearing comfortable clothing too." Alex said happily swinging his tail. There was also a burning question he wanted to ask the cheetah but he wondered if it was too personal. "Hey Kevin, there is something that's been bugging me but doesn't Zootopia University have a gym on campus? Why go to one off campus?"

"Ah good question, well it's kind of an embarrassing story. During my freshmen year I would go there all the time. I met a friendly group of mammals who like exercising as much as I did but little did I know that they were a bad crowd. One day late at night they started trashing the gym for the fun of it. I tried to stop them and they started to beat my up. When campus security came they arrested those thugs and I was taken to the hospital and placed in intensive care from my injuries. They said I was crazy trying to take on four guys at once but something in me snapped. I couldn't sit by and do nothing but every time I went there I was reminded of what happened and I lost my motivation. So I decided to go off campus and join 'The Muscle Den'. It was more motivation for me to use the gym if I was paying for it and besides...it motivated me more keep up my dream of being a police officer. If I was a cop, I would have been able to fight back and arrest them." The cheetah spoke passionately with a fire in his eyes. Alex wasn't used to Kevin's serious side he seemed like an easy going guy but perhaps there was more to him than that. The cheetah shook his head putting his smile back on. "Anyway sorry for boring you, I bet you find it surprising that I got beat up it's so embarrassing.."

The glasses-wearing wolf shook his head, "No it was very interesting, thanks for sharing. We need more mammals like you that want to stand up for what's right. I'm just a weakling compared to you. When I try to stand up for things I believe in I find myself powerless to stop anything or I make things worse for myself and others." Alex said as he reflected on his battle with Bianca. He was weak and helpless, powerless to stand up to her or Phantom for that matter. "That's why maybe if I can improve myself...I'll be able to one day protect those that matter too."

The cheetah put his paw around the wolf's shoulder bring him in closer and again violating his personal space. "Don't worry Alex, you'll get there and so will I".

Alex struggled under the cheetah's large arms and strong grip. "Hey...that's too close... let go...I can smell your sweat... do you even use deodorant?"

Embarrassed the cheetah let go. "Sorry! I'll go do that now." he said as he reached into his gym bag and used a spray can deodorant. It made the odor go away but left a sting in Alex's sensitive nose. It was an overpowering smell that made his eyes water. Alex walked a little further ahead just to avoid most of the new intruding smell.

Soon they reached the ZPD's first precinct. Entering the doors Alex looked around in amazement. He never thought he would set foot in a police station at all in his life. The only thing that would sour this moment was if his former best friend turned corrupted cop Jake would rear his ugly head. Alex forgot for a moment that the jerk worked in this place as well. The wolf put up his guard as he walked in with Kevin. He could see a pudgy figure in the distance at the front desk. Upon closer inspection it was a cheetah that was portly wearing a police uniform. Alex was quick to deduce this was Kevin's cousin Benjamin Clawhauser. Kevin's smiling face turned to a concerned face as he ran up to the desk quickly grabbing the donut box on the desk.

"Ben! What did I say about donuts!?" he yelled loudly causing other officers to turn and look at the commotion.

"Kev! What are you doing here!?" Benjamin said in a surprised tone as he backed away slowly from his angry cousin.

"Just thought I'd visit you and my future workplace and I find you are back to eating these disgusting things again." Kevin said as he trashed the donuts into a nearby garbage. "Now let me check for other contraband." Benjamin sat there with a defeated look as Kevin took all the hidden junk food from his desk, even the ones he hid behind his computer. All of it went into the garbage and the big cuddly and chubby cheetah looked like he was going to cry. Alex almost felt bad and wanted to say something but didn't want to interfere with their family affairs. Besides it would be a bad idea going against Kevin in this state, he never seen him angry like this before.

"Look Ben, I'm very worried about you. The doctors say if you don't lose weight soon you will have serious health problems! Do you understand!?" Kevin shouted angrily.

"Yes...sorry Kev...I know I should stop but it's hard when the other officers bring these to my desk everyday." Ben said with a sad look in his eyes.

"Then just say no or throw them out...I'm super worried about you cuz! Everyone is! So please be more careful." Kevin said calming down.

"I will. I promise." Ben said pouting.

Letting out a heavy sigh Kevin said, "You better or else! If only your hours weren't so weird I'd force you to go to the gym with me..."

Alex walked up to the front desk and Kevin realized he forgot about the wolf in his rage-fueled health rant. "Oh yeah, Ben this is Alex. I met him in the gym and he's pretty cool. He said he even knows Judy and Nick are they here? I always wanted to meet them."

"Well it's nice to meet you Alex, sorry my cousin is such a handful hope he isn't causing you too much trouble. As you might have guessed my name is Benjamin Clawhauser, a dispatcher at the ZPD." Ben said which caused Alex to relapse to his experience in the gym this morning. "Also I'm sorry to say you just missed Judy and Nick...they went out on patrol."

"Aww darn... I'll just text them later then..." Alex said sighing.

"Oh yea Ben... this guy is an expert programmer. He helped create your favorite app you know? Dancing with Gazelle." Kevin said happily bragging about the wolf's accomplishment.

Suddenly Alex felt a cold shiver down his spine. What was this feeling within him. He felt like he was being stalked by something his fur standing on end. Something was about to pounce on him, he could feel it. It didn't take long for Alex to see Benjamin Clawhauser looking at him with an obsessed gaze. The wolf backed away slowly getting creeped out by the stare but soon Ben came out from behind the desk and started to shake his paw furiously. "OH MY GOD! You are like my hero! I'm such a fan of your app! Do you know Gazelle? I'm such a huge fan of hers!"

"T-thanks... I'm glad you liked it so much. But sorry I don't know Gazelle personality, never met her at all. I'm not even that into her music honestly but a job was a job and I was a freelancer at the time so I took the offer to program it." Alex said dashing Ben's hopes of meeting Gazelle personally in one fell swoop. The extra blow coming from the fact that Alex wasn't a fan of her music.

"Aww... that's too bad..." the pudgy cheetah looking sad as he dragged himself back to his desk in defeat. "Anyway sorry you came all this way to see Judy and Nick but feel free to visit any time just stay out of trouble." he said trying to sound a bit like an officer.

"Understood, thank you very much Officer Clawhauser." he said politely to the portly officer.

"Oh no need to be so formal, Ben is fine with me. Anyway take care you two!" Ben said waving goodbye.

"I'll be back Ben...and if I see one donut on your desk..." Kevin said gesturing a punching motion. Alex watched as Kevin threatened his own cousin who was also a cop but Benjamin didn't seem phased as he continued smiling and waving. He must be used to dealing with his health obsessed cousin. Part of him was glad such a friendly and kind soul worked at the front desk of the ZPD.

Kevin had to go to some classes and so he parted ways to Alex who headed back home picking up a bug burger and some cricket chips on the way home for lunch. After he ate he collapsed in his bed to take a nap further destroying his already in sleep schedule which was already in ruins.

Meanwhile Nick and Judy were in their squad car on patrol. Judy looked sleep deprived even after drinking several cups of coffee and Nick was in a similar stupor. They were extremely tired from sleepless nights trying to find more information on Phantom. "We can't find anything on them Nick...we need more information..." Judy said whining as she struggled to drive.

"Wish we could magically get some carrots but we are dealing with something no other cops have dealt with before. We can't catch someone or something that can move through parallel worlds easily. We have no choice but to keep trying to do what we can." Nick said sipping his fourth cup of coffee.

"I just hope it stays quiet for a while...I don't think I can handle it if I see Alex in the hospital again." Judy said sighing.

"Speaking of Alex, I was doing some research on him as well. I don't know if this is the work of Phantom or not but looking through Alex's public records bits and pieces are missing. His birth certificate said he was born in Zootopia but there are no records of him going to pre-school, no medical records or anything from before he was 8 years old. There is an eight year gap missing from his profile. There are documents that he was adopted by his aunt and uncle at 8 and then everything else is intact." Nick said in a serious expression.

"That... that can't be!" Judy said shocked, she woke up a bit from this information. "What made you want to look into Alex anyway. Do...do you not trust him after he tried to attack us?" she said sadly.

"No, of course not. If Alex was really targeted by Phantom there has to be something anything about him that could give us a hint. Perhaps something we can link to future targets or crimes they might commit. So I decided to do some digging and found that out." Nick said in a sorrowful tone.

"Wow Nick! I'm impressed, you do take your work seriously!" Judy says jokingly.

"Ouch that hurt Carrots..." Nick said acting as if he was offended. He paused for a moment. "Hey Judy...I was thinking...do you think what happened to Alex could happen to us as well? I've been thinking about it and I'm scared...scared that one day I might go primal as well and attack you. This primal spirit stuff it gave us the power to purify those evil spirits but I can't believe it had such a dark secret...but you have to promise me that you will run away if I ever get like that." Nick said looking at Judy.

"Nick..." Judy felt sad and angry that Nick would ever think she would abandon him. Yet she understood where he was coming from and wanted to protect her. There have been nights were she had wondered what would have happened if Bellweather won, if she made Nick go savage and kill her and even so such a possibility might be on the table there was no hesitation in her decision. "No never... Nick...we are partners now and I will never ever abandon you. Even if you were in that state, even if you never recovered from your primal urges I will stay by your side. That's a promise." She said smiling at Nick as they reached a stop light.

Nick couldn't help but smile at her response. It was one he was hoping to hear after all. "Thanks Carrots!" the sly fox said smiling.


	16. Curiosity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex, Nick and Judy investigate the disappearance of two college students.

Zootopia – Spirit Chronicles

A/N: Commissioned a very talented artist to get a picture of my OC. Made it the cover for the fic!

Chapter 16 – Curiosity

"C'mon what are you scared?" the male ablino ferret shouted.

"No! I'm not scared of ghosts!" the cheetah shouted back from the inside of the empty classroom.

"So let's go then! We need to finish our assignment and investigating the so called 'haunted house' in the rain forest district will give us the edge we need for an A+!" the ferret said enthusiastically. The ferret's name was Bryan Taylor .He was wearing a light blue shirt and some black jeans as he sat in his chair backwards to face his teammates. His teammates included the macho cheetah Kevin Clawhauser and a shy female doe named Sarah Forrester. They had to do a research project involving investigating a famous rumor or urban legend in Zootopia for one of their classes. The ferret had the bright idea to pick an old abandoned mansion that was deep within the Rainforest district and investigate the rumor that it's haunted. Bryan seemed adamant about going he loved creepy spooky stuff but the cheetah kept protesting and despite the size advantage Kevin had the ferret did not back down.

Sarah didn't speak up much but she interrupted the argument and said, "I think we should go, it would help us if we were to take pictures of the place and we can ask anyone if they heard anything. No one in our class is doing something spooky so it will help us stand out too."

"See? Sarah agrees so it's decided! Let's get going!" Bryan said jumping off the chair and heading out the door.

"Ugh fine..." Kevin said as he nervously followed. He didn't want to admit it but he hated ghosts and scary stuff it freaked him out.

Sarah followed after them wearing her usual floral pattern dress. She was wearing a gardenia flower behind her left ear today, she would pick a new flower each day to wear depending on her mood. The doe was shy but intelligent, he family runs a flower shop that's famous with the locals. Yet she can't stand predator species especially wolves. She can tolerate her two classmates because she was forcibly assigned to be with them but wolves were a different story altogether. She hated them, her mind still replaying the moment when that wolf approached her a few days ago. He may have been nice enough to return her money she dropped but just the sight of those fangs and his eyes makes her fur stand on end. Perhaps it was an over-reaction but she can't be too careful in this city.

Taking the bus they soon arrived in the Rainforest district of Zootopia. It was hot day in the district today but the occasional rain helped to cool things down. It was a long walk to reach the edge of the rainforest where the mansion was. It was called the Kapok Mansion an old and decrepit place built near the trunk of a large tree that it was named for. Plant growth was rampant inside and outside the mansion due to years and years of neglect. Broken glass scattered near the entrance as the three students approached the haunted mansion, the ferret taking pictures with his phone for the report.

"So the rumor is that a female panther was the owner of this house over 100 years ago. She was said to be a kind gentle soul but one day she snapped and killed everyone inside the mansion including herself. They say that some mammals that entered this place never left. They never find their bodies...spooky huh?" the ferret said grinning at the cheetah who was clearly trying not to freak out.

"Well we took the pictures let's go!" Kevin said turning away.

"C'mon scaredy cat..we came all this way let's at least look inside." the ferret responded.

"But this place is kinda run down, it looks dangerous right Sarah?" Kevin asked the doe.

She was silent for a few moments before heading inside on her own not making eye contact with the boys. She wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. The more she had to tolerate these two predators the more she wanted to scream.

"Sarah..." Kevin said almost shocked she just waltzed right in.

"C'mon let's hurry up or she's going to leave us behind!"Bryan shouted.

Yet as the two predators entered they already lost sight of the doe, she must have entered a room to look around. Inside was a grand staircase leading up to an upstairs master bedroom. The walls on the first floor were cracked but if one peered through they could see a kitchen and dining room in the west wing of the mansion and a library in the east wing. There was also a doorway leading downstairs into a basement which was rare for houses in the rainforest district.

"Let's split up and look around..." Bryan said as he headed through the ruins of the house into the kitchen.

Kevin tried to call out to him to stop this and leave but he had to keep up his tough guy front. If anyone thought the cheetah was scared it would ruin his reputation. He bravely entered the library all on his own books were scattered about, it looks like there was signs of a struggle here. Furniture all thrown about the room, various papers scattered. It was too dark to read anything, the books were probably illegible as well since all of that time past.

Just then he heard a scream, the scream of a girl. It was Sarah she was in danger. As he turned to leave the library the door slammed shut and locked. This was great. It was just like every cliché horror movie he had seen expect it was happening to him in real life. Even with all his strength he couldn't manage to budge the door. It was almost as if it was held by a supernatural force. "Sarah! Bryan! Get me out of here!" the cheetah screamed. The cheetah felt so sluggish, it was as if the life was being drained out of him. He slumped to the ground trying to keep his eyes open, he saw the figure of a woman in the corner of his eye and the last thing he heard was a faint sinister laugh before he passed out.

The ferret heard the doe and cheetah scream and ran towards them but as he frantically searched the place they were no where to be found. He entered the library door which was unlocked and didn't find Kevin anywhere. Byran couldn't find a trace of Sarah anywhere as well. This was beginning to freak him out. "C'mon guys this isn't funny! You can't scream like that and disappear! I don't want to be in here alone!"Shivers ran down his spine as he bolted for the door as he managed to escape the mansion. Reaching for his phone he quickly dialed 911...

A few hours later Nick and Judy were on their routine patrol, today they were in the rainforest district, walking around making sure there was no trouble. It started to rain but Judy came prepared with her carrot umbrella. She giggled and laughed at the poor fox who was getting drenched in his police uniform. Nick saw that Judy was laughing and began to shake himself dry, the water he shook off managing to hit Judy much to her dismay.

"Sorry carrots...this wouldn't have happened if you let me share your umbrella." The fox smirked.

"You should be more prepared Nick...and that doesn't give you the right to do that to me." she said trying to dry herself with a handkerchief.

The scheduled rain soon stopped but with it came a call from dispatch. "Nick! Judy! It's terrible! We just got a report of two missing mammals near the old Kapok Mansion. One of them is a doe who goes by the name Sarah Forrester. The...the other is my little cousin Kevin! They were looking at the old mansion and they just disappeared. Their classmate just called and said they vanished! Please you have to find them!" Benjamin said almost crying on the other line.

"Calm down Spots! We got this under control." Nick said coolly and confidently.

"Yes you can count on us we will call you once we find them!" Judy says trying her best to calm down the emotional cheetah.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking carrots?" the fox grinned.

"I sure am...they must have been sent to that world by a powerful spirit most likely a Grudge." she said hoping nothing terrible happened to them.

"Well let's get going!" The fox said hoping into the police car.

"Wait! We need to tell Alex this too...we all made a promise remember. We can't break it again." Judy entered the car and dialed the wolf's number on her phone. A grogy voice answered on the other line.

"H-hello? Alex speaking..." the wolf said yawning. He was riding the bus on his way home from work, he had to go into the office today to hand in his code for the project. The wolf was still tired from lack of sleep (mostly playing video games) and this caused him to doze off on the bus ride home.

"Alex! It's Judy we have an incident with two missing students disappearing and we think it has to do with the Spirit World. How fast can you get over to the rainforest district?" the bunny asked.

"The spirit world?" Just hearing that phrase was a jolt to his system, his entire body waking up almost immediately. "Got it, my next stop is in the rainforest district near Vine Street. Can I get a ride from there?"

"Vine street...that's not too far from us we are on our way." Judy replied.

"Thanks Judy, will be there in five minutes." Alex said happily, the wolf was unaware that one of his new friends was in serious danger.

Alex got off at the stop, he was still in his work clothes. His outfit was business causal, consisting of a light blue button down shirt and black slacks as well as his messenger bag containing his laptop and video games. Currently he can't get enough of his Pawstation Vita. All morning on the bus he was grinding out levels happily in Fursona 4 Golden. The wolf got into the squad car with Nick and Judy which was a bit cramped as they drove to the site of the disappearance.

"Nick! Judy! It's been so long how have you guys been?" Alex asked.

"I"m doing great!" Judy said.

"I'm ok too just tired... you?" Nick replied yawning a bit.

"I'm tired as well but I want to save those missing students. I'll do everything I can to help you guys out!" the wolf said with a determined voice. "Oh yes I visited the ZPD the other day looking for you guys just to say hello. I met a new friend, his name is Kevin Clawhauser he's the little cousin of this really nice cheetah named Benjamin Clawhauser at the station. Benjamin said we missed meeting you but at least I got to see where you guys worked." he said happily remembering that day.

Judy and Nick turned to each other with a grim expression on their face.

"Alex... I don't know how to tell you this but...one of the missing students is Clawhauser's little cousin...Kevin." Judy said with a bit of sadness.

Alex's ears dropped downwards saddened to hear that his friend has disappeared. He could be being attacked by an evil spirit or something worse. "Kevin...I need to save him...he's helped me so much I need to return the favor." he said his face covered with worry.

"Don't worry we will save them..." Nick said without a hint of doubt in his voice. Alex wondered how he could sound so confident. The fox must have a really good poker face he doesn't seem to let anything get to him. Judy looked to Nick and gave him a nod. Alex looked at both of them in awe. It was like watching a cop film in real life. Two police officers trusting each other and heading off to the rescue.

They soon arrived at Kapok Mansion, a sense of dread seemed to hang in the air. For those who were exposed to the spirit world it was plain to see this place had a frightful power emanating from it. Those without this gift would ignorantly walk in and take their chances with whatever being was waiting inside. These were usually the ones who would turn up missing or dead further spreading the rumor of a haunted place.

"Ugh...I've never felt such a presence. This Grudge must be really strong..." Alex said as he clutched his heart. Just being near this place made him sick to his stomach. Judy was struggling to move forward, her legs shaking not out of fear but trying to fight with corrupted air blocking her path. Nick was feeling the effects too his breathing was becoming heavy, his body feeling like he was carrying a ton of bricks.

"C'mon! Almost there! UGH!" Judy cried out as they all struggled to enter the building. Somehow they managed to enter the door to the mansion which shut tightly behind them. A strange sensation washed over them. The atmosphere in the mansion was nearly identical to the Spirit World yet they didn't even enter a gateway.

"This is weird... is this the Spirit World?" Judy spoke up. She tried to conjure her weapon. She imagined the spear in her paw and closed her eyes. Sure enough it appeared in her paw as she opened her eyes shocked at what she saw.

"No way! But we didn't enter a gate! How can we be in the spirit world?" Nick said shocked and desperate for an answer.

"Well we did enter something... the front door to this mansion. We all felt the powerful and dreadful energy but we walked inside. Maybe the Grudge is so powerful that this entire house is under their domain? As soon as we entered it we were trapped so it looks like we have to defeat whoever is causing this if we want to head back." The wolf said trying to analyze the situation.

Just then a loud cry echoed throughout the mansion. "Help! Someone!"

Judy grabbed her spear in hand. "Let's hurry!"

"Right behind you Carrots! Let's go Howl!" Nick said entering cop mode.

"Ok! But please stop calling me weird names Nick!" Alex said following the two. Time was of the essence but who knows what terrible menace was lurking in the shadows as the three headed deeper inside.


	17. Feast of Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio search the mansion for the missing students.

A/N: Sorry for the wait! Please enjoy!

Chapter 17 – Feast of Madness

The Kapok mansion...once a home to a prestigious family in the rainforest district of Zootopia that fell into ruin due to a horrible tragedy. Fool hardy or brave souls dared entered this haunted place in order to seek the truth of the tragedy but some did not make it back out. Thus did the rumor spread that this place was cursed, the owner of the manor taking in more victims who dared enter. Now the lives of two mammals hang in the balance as Alex, Judy, and Nick race to find the missing students before it is too late.

The sound of a female screaming came from the second floor, Judy lead the way thanks to her amazing hearing. The three scurried up the grand staircase which was covered in a dull red carpet that was faded and dusty from years of neglect. The wooden floorboards creaking loudly as they entered the door to the second floor bedroom where the scream came from. Judy opened the door without hesitation and charged into the room. It was quite a large bedroom with a king size bed, an old antique mirror and some dressers thrown about the room. There shivering in the corner of the large bedroom was a female deer shaking with freight, tears running down her face.

The doe was facing the mirror, her eyes wide with shock. It took a moment to realize that a large red paw which looked like it was dripping with blood was spilling out of the mirror. The smell was horrendous as Alex and Nick instinctively covered their noses. The wolf and fox were very sensitive to smell and it reeked with the smell of fresh blood. Alex was coughing and gagging just by looking at it, he never seen or smelled something so vile in his life. Judy leapt into action, her body reacting on it's own. She knew it smelled awful but someone needed her help. Quickly the bunny threw her carrot-spear into the mirror causing it to shatter, the hand and smell immediately disappearing as if it never existed. Alex was finally able to breathe as he fell to the ground gasping for air. Nick loosened his tie from his police uniform breathing heavily as well.

Judy turned to the doe who was still shivering, "It's alright now...Officer Judy Hopps and Nicholas Wilde at your service, as well as junior ZPD officer Alex Lykos over there!"

"Junior officer? Really?" Alex mumbled to himself sighing heavily.

Not missing a beat once he heard the term junior officer, Nick took out a familiar looking sticker from his pocket and placed a star shaped ZPD sticker on Alex's button-down shirt that he was wearing. "There now it's official!" Nick says smiling wryly.

Alex looked down at his shirt and saw the sticker. It looked like something the police would give to a child. The wolf's eyes widened in shock before lashing out at Nick, "Nick, what the heck!? I'm not a kid!" before tearing the sticker off. As he tore the sticker off it was quickly replaced by another one thanks to the fox's quick reflexes. This went on about two more times before Alex hung his head in defeat and accepted his fate to be a junior ZPD officer.

"See kid? You still have a ways to go but if you behave well enough I'll buy you a pawpsicle." Nick said playfully patting his head and messing his fur like a child.

"Make it strawberry and it's a deal..." Alex mumbled again. This fox was good, he really knew how to push someone's buttons.

Judy giggled a bit at the spectacle before turning to the deer who seemed to have calmed down. "What's your name sweeite?" she asked smiling.

"Sarah...Sarah Forrester. Thanks for saving me...Judy." she said smiling. Just looking at the female bunny made her happy. There should be more prey officers like Judy around the city. She would feel much safer than having cheetahs, tigers, and worst of all wolves in the ZPD. Speaking of wolves she recoiled at the sight of Alex once she noticed his presence. She got up and immediately tried to exit the room, closing her eyes trying not to make contact with the furry monster. This caused her to unknowingly crash into the wolf who was caught off guard. The doe was able to continue past Alex as he got knocked to the floor landing with a loud thud. She was almost at the door but found herself stopped in her tracks. Another predator's paw was grabbing her arm, it was that of the fox officer Nick.

"Whoa there Petal to the Metal..." he said as both a play on the flower she had on her head and the fact that she tried to zoom out of the room. Nick smiled and seemed to be proud of his pun as he continued. "It's dangerous out there and you should apologize for the poor guy you just knocked down." The fox said pointing his paw towards Alex. The wolf was slowly getting back up as he rubbed his butt which was a bit sore from the sudden fall.

"No! That's a wolf! I don't trust them! I can't stand to be near one!" she said panicking.

Alex realized something, this was the same deer he met a few days ago after leaving the gym. He was trying to be nice and return something she dropped but she immediately freaked out. The wolf was getting misty eyed as the deer's words stung him once again. His mood turning a bit sour and a feeling of depression washed over him.

"Calm down Sarah, please! This is no time to be hysterical. Alex is a very nice wolf he won't hurt you." Judy says trying to calm her down.

"But...no you don't understand...Wolves they...they may look nice but deep down they will snap and attack you! Just like they did when I was little... That's why... that's why I can never trust them... I can never be near one... I hate all predators! The huge scar on my back won't go away... it's there to remind me that wolves and other predators are just monsters!" Sarah said snapping as she let her emotions out. She was in some kind of demon mansion and just when she was about to get rescued a wolf and fox had to show up to ruin it for her. The doe was on the brink of an emotional break down as she started crying and freeing her arm from the fox whose grip softened after hearing her outburst. Alex's ears lowered, he could feel the hatred coming from her, the smell of her fear, it made him sick to his stomach. He wasn't sure of the details but it seems like wolves attacked her when she was little.

"I...I'm going to go look for Kevin...I'll leave the room Sarah... you don't have to worry about me..." he said as his eyes were welling up. Alex was very upset, the feeling of being hated of being cast out. It reminded him so much of the past it hurt. He had to get away from the source before his heart leapt out of his chest. As he left the room he mumbled something very low near the deer "I'm sorry..." before heading downstairs to look for the other missing student. The deer turned to him as he said those words, she saw the tears running down his fur. She didn't know wolves were capable of that emotion. A sinking pain was welling up in her heart. Did she say too much? Did she overreact? Doubts started to form in her mind as she watched the wolf fade from her sight and she started to feel calmer.

"Nick...go after Alex. I'll take care of Sarah and meet up with you soon." Judy said as she held Sarah's hoof in her paw.

"You got it Carrots..." the fox said as he followed the wolf, he too was a bit shaken up by those words. He knew exactly what Alex was going through but the wolf wasn't able to hide his emotions as well as he could. The fox soon headed downstairs and the girls started to talk.

"Officer I'm so scared..." Sarah said.

"Sarah listen...I know this is scary but it will be fine. I trust in my partner, the fox Nick Wilde with my life. I know you hate predators but you have to understand that there will always be some bad eggs out there. I was attacked too by a fox when I was little. I thought that foxes were scary and I still had a fear of them when I grew up. I even carried fox repellent with me on my first few days as an officer. Yet once I got to know Nick I realized that not all foxes are bad...I even got an apology from the fox that attacked me when I was little too. If you got to know wolves and start to open up to them you'll slowly come to accept them. Alex is a pretty cool guy too just give him a chance. Not all predators are bad believe me. We all need to get along if we want to live together. That's why we live in Zootopia after all right?" Judy said cheerfully hoping her passion speech will help Sarah.

Deep down Sarah knew she was right, her fears were irrational, it was lingering memories from her childhood which held her back. Yet part of her can't forgive those evil wolf pups who attacked her in an unwanted game of "Pred and Prey" which gave her a large scar on her back. She wanted compensation or revenge but mostly she wanted those memories gone. "Judy I... I know you are right but... I am not ready to accept wolves. I can tolerate other predators but...but not wolves..."

"Sarah..." Judy says as her ears lowered.

Suddenly the door to the bedroom slammed shut and locked. The two banged on the door but Nick and Alex were too far away to hear them. A black puddle was forming under them as they felt like they were being dragged through the floor. Everything went dark as Judy and Sarah fell unconscious.

Meanwhile Nick managed to catch up to Alex who was trying to stop his tears from exiting his eyes. Nick placed a paw on his shoulder rubbing it gently which helped calm him down. "Sorry Nick...I just couldn't hear that anymore...I can't stand being a room who someone who hates your very existence." Alex said softly.

"Kid...it happens to all of us. Predators and prey...everyone can have such strong feels of negativity towards the other or even their own species. You can't let it get to you...you have to keep smiling that's the only way I learned how to survive in this world..." Nick said as he shared his feelings.

"Wow...not letting it get to you... You're really strong Nick... I'm not sure if I can ignore something or not let something bother me. I seem to take that kind of hatred personality. Like it was my fault that I exist. Sometimes I feel so helpless..." Alex said sadly.

"You'll learn as you get older...you just have to do what you can. You can't change everyone but a certain try-hard bunny showed me that the more you get to know someone the more we can understand each other. I trust that bunny with my life now." Nick said happily.

"Nick...stop being so cool..." Alex said playfully finally calmed down.

"Can't help it, I was born this way." Nick said back to the wolf who in turn gave him a weird look.

Suddenly Alex and Nick heard something. It was faint but they could hear the moaning of a deep male voice beneath them. It was coming through the cracks of the floorboards. They were on the first floor so the noise must be coming from the basement. "That must be Kevin! Let's hurry!" Alex said as he rushed to a check a nearby door. He signaled over to Nick and showed him the stair way leading downstairs.

Alex concentrated and called out his soul weapon, a sword with an icy-blue steel blade and a silver hilt. As he lead the way down a spiral staircase to the basement. Nick readied his bow as well following behind Alex. Inside the basement they found him, a cheetah chained up to the wall groaning loudly. The basement looked like a torture chamber. Chains were all over the walls and bones of various different animals were scattered about the room. The place reeked of death, if one were to guess this would be the room where the tragedy occurred all those years ago.

Kevin wasn't looking to good, the cheetah looked drained of energy. Alex ran to the wall and cut through the chains that held Kevin setting him free. As if awoken from a curse Kevin's eyes shot open he was gasping for air only to have the foul air in the room enter his lungs. The cheetah coughed a bit as he stood up. "Alex! What are you doing here? What's with the sword? And is that Officer Nick Wilde? Why does he have a bow? What's going on? Where am I?" The cheetah bombarded him with so many questions.

"Kevin there isn't time to explain... we have to go meet back up with Judy and Sarah upstairs..." Alex said motioning to the door. "Hurry let's go!" the wolf said grabbing the cheetah's paw who followed along. As they headed for the stairs the door to the basement shut tightly. An overwhelming sense of dread filled the air. The boys turned around to see a horrible misshapen female panther. Blood dripping from her wrists as she wore a black raggedy dress and had a weird demonic red glow in her eyes.

"Leaving so soon? The feast is about to begin! Your fresh souls will be mine...Living souls have so much more power. Give me your souls!" the female panther said as she cackled like a witch.

Nick soon noticed something and was shocked. "Guys look! It's Judy and Sarah! They are chained to the wall behind her!" The fox was starting to panic. They were both helpless, it looked like the life had been drained from their bodies. The fox could seen their chests rising up and down, it seems like they were having a hard time breathing. He had to rescue Judy quickly but this Grudge was in his way.

The panther grudge was floating in the air as it crept slowly towards Kevin who was scared and frightened. It was a ghost... a ghost was about to kill him. He was frozen in fear as the Grudge was getting ready to attack him. Large blood-red claws soon appearing from her left paw as she swiped at her victim. Alex jumped in front of Kevin and swung his sword successfully deflecting her claws. The sound of metal clashing and echoing throughout the basement. As the grudge was caught off guard, Nick fired a charged arrow directly at her hitting her directly and causing her to scream in pain. The grudge backed off a bit trying to recover.

"Kevin snap out of it!" Alex shouted at him trying to shake the cheetah jock back to reality. Kevin saw the grudge was getting ready to attack again. Nick was readying his bow for another arrow. He couldn't process what was happening. He never pictured Alex to be the brave type... he was acting like a coward. Kevin felt that he should be protecting others not the one being protected. Feeling helpless against this monster, having to rely on Alex and Nick for help. He wanted to help too. His soul cried out and soon the cheetah heard an otherworldly voice.

Kevin found himself in a white space, he was facing a female cheetah in her natural state. She was on all fours as she gazed at him in with her topaz colored eyes. "Young one...I am one of the primal spirits of the cheetah. My name is Mafdet. I have been watching over you and I have heard your call... shall grant you my blessing. Please use it to protect those that matter to you."

The cheetah blinked as he snapped back to reality. He felt a warmth within his body within his soul. The room was soon bathed in a bright light causing the Grudge to recoil in horror. Alex and Nick closed their eyes to avoid being blinded. The light soon faded and Kevin smirked confidently. On the cheetah's paws were gauntlets. They were mostly black with glowing red markings decorating the outside. The cheetah could feel the newfound power and energy. This is what he wanted. He would finally be able to stand up for himself...to get some payback against ghost that kidnapped him and are holding two other innocent mammals hostage. Yet most importantly he wanted to help out Alex and Nick who rescued him and saved his life.

"Kevin! You have a soul weapon too? Did you get the primal blessing of the cheetah?" Alex asked.

"Soul weapon? Primal? There is so much going on... it doesn't matter! All that matters is right here! Right now! Let's kick some butt! Prepare yourself you cackling hag!" Kevin shouted as he took on a fighting stance holding both his hands in the air ready to punch. Alex nodded and readied his sword as Nick notched another soul arrow in his bow. They looked at each other smiling and nodding feeling a sense of comradery as they prepared to fight with all they had to save Judy and Sarah and escape this evil mansion.


	18. Chains of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fierce battle to escape the cursed mansion begins!

A/N: Going through another slow editing process of my older chapters to get rid of errors. But didn't want to leave you guys hanging! Enjoy the new chapter!

Trapped in an old and dusty basement with a killer spirit wasn't how the wolf wanted to spend his afternoon. Yet the ability to save his friend from this predicament, to have the power to do so...it brought joy to his heart. Or was this feeling the anticipation for the upcoming confrontation? Alex wondered if the ZPD felt like this all the time. Yet the rescue was not completed until they defeat this Grudge and escape. The gears in the wolf's mind began to turn as he tried to think of a plan. Judy and Sarah were still trapped in the otherworldly chains behind the Grudge. Freeing Judy should be priority number one. "We have to free the girls first! Ready guys?" Alex said with a determined gaze on his face taking a fighting stance.

"This is going to be fun!" Kevin said happily as he started charging towards the Grudge at full speed. The cheetah slamming gauntlet covered paw right into the Grudge, causing the monstrous female panther to get pushed backwards. Not missing a beat the sly fox fires a few shots at the panther causing her to scream in pain as red mist pours of her body. Taking advantage of the Grudge's state Alex rushes over to Judy who is chained up against the wall, her energy being drained from her body. With a quick slice of his sword the chains break easily and freeing the bunny. The broken chains seem to vanish into thin air as the wolf breaks the chains holding Sarah as well.

Both girls look exhausted, Nick and Kevin rush over to help Alex wake them up while the Grudge is still screaming in pain. Slowly the red mist re-enters the evil spirit's body as it recovered from the damage. Kevin takes notices of this and turns to face the Grudge again staring it down with a fierce passion. The panther screams in anger as it uses it's large blood red claws to slash at Kevin. The cheetah raises his paws to defend himself, the sound of ringing steel echoing loudly as the claws make contact with Kevin's gauntlets. The sound was loud enough to wake up Judy from her daze, those large sensitive ears ringing a bit.

"Nick? Alex? Where are we?" Judy says trying to regain senses.

"No time for that Carrots we have company!" the fox says pointing to the Grudge that was slowly overwhelming Kevin. The Grudge's claws were fast and deadly. Kevin seems to be a natural at fighting being able to defend against most of the onslaught. His arms getting slight cuts from near misses. Judy shook her head and called forth her spear and leapt into the fray. With her weapon's long reach she caught the Grudge off guard and managing to cause a direct hit to it's leg. Kevin was now free to counter attack with a punch combination that struck the Grudge directly in the torso. Nick followed up with another charged arrow shot hitting his opponent directly. Red mist was pouring out of it's body as it took damage but for some reason the mist was not dissipating. It was slowly re-entering the spirit's body.

"What the heck? Why is she not going down?" Nick said angrily thinking they should have won by now.

"We'll need to think of a plan..." Judy said with her spear at the ready trying to think of a solution.

Meanwhile Alex was trying to wake Sarah up from her daze. The doe slowly opened her eyes to see the wolf gaze upon her with a worried expression. She was too tired to physically push him away. Sarah remembered she was being chained to the wall and then blacked out. Did this wolf rescue her after all the horrible things she had said about him? Sarah slowly got up as she regained strength.

"Stay behind me Sarah... I'll keep you safe..." Alex said bravely. It was odd when he was fighting with his friends he felt so much more confident, more capable. Sarah was touched by these words but felt a pain within her. Her past was preventing her from moving on and accepting others. Just as her body was chained to the wall those memories were chaining her heart.

"Why...why are you helping me? After everything I said..." Sarah said shyly but before Alex could respond the Grudge let out a horrible shriek as Kevin charged towards it. Kevin's movements were slower than before, he was most likely still drained from before when we was chained up. The Grudge took advantage of this and smacked him into the nearby wall causing him to scream in pain upon impact. As the cheetah hit the wall, those familiar chains re-appeared and applied themselves to his wrists.

"How wonderful that you wanted seconds my dear cheetah..." The Grudge cackled as she fed off of his energy. "You ignorant fools, my hatred is everlasting! They...they took everything away from me! My only daughter! She was accepted into a prestigious school as the first predator student. Then she winds up dead! She was tortured to death by the faculty as a research subject! So I kidnapped them, those horrible teachers that did this to her...trapped them in this basement and let them starve to death. I starved myself as well! I wanted to feel how my daughter felt to be tortured! But I am not satisfied with just killing them! I will kill them all! Once I have enough power I escape from here will kill everyone! Then my daughter will finally know peace!"

"That's horrible what they did to your daughter but that didn't give you the right to kill others for revenge! Kill others won't solve anything! It only causes more pain!" Judy shouted angrily.

"It's no use Judy... she's too far gone... too twisted from all those years of unending hatred...We have to stop her!" Alex cried still taking a defensive stance protecting Sarah.

"Now give me your energy!" the Grudge screamed as it charged at towards the remaining combatants. Otherworldly chains were forming from her body as they launched themselves at the fox and bunny. Caught off guard by the new type of technique they were unable to dodge and were trapped by the chains coming from the Grudge. Now it was just Alex by himself trying to defend Sarah. The Grudge cackled before coming towards the wolf with large blood red claws. Alex blocked the incoming claw swipes trying to parry the blows but didn't find any openings.

"Wolf!" Sarah cried out. This wolf was her only hope now of staying alive. She couldn't believe this was happening. The Grudge took notice of her and proceeded to slowly raise her claws to attack the doe. Alex raised his sword and managed to block the blow before it hit the deer. The wolf struggled to push her back. A fierce look in his eyes as he tried his hardest to protect the deer. He had to do something, he had to take the offensive. Yet the wolf was too distracted by the claws and did not see the chains near the Grudge's legs slowly creep up and attach themselves to his ankles. The energy within the wolf was being drained and caused Alex to fall to the floor, joining Judy, Nick and Kevin.

Sarah was all by herself with no one to protect her. The Grudge cackled as it raised her claws to attack her once again. It wanted to cause her harm before draining the remainder of her energy. Her eyes widened as she was about to get struck but something blocked the claw's path. It was Alex. The wolf was too tired to pick up his sword but his body naturally threw itself in front of the deer taking the full force of the attack. The back of his shirt tearing leaving behind a claw mark and causing him to slowly bleed from the wounds. Even in his weakened state he refused give in. His stronger spirit allowing him to move even within the draining restraints. Yet he couldn't take the pain and soon fell into the deer.

The deer collapsed to the ground holding the chained wolf in her arms as he looked so weak. "Why... why...I did...I said...how ….was I wrong...? I'm sorry... so sorry..." The emotion of the situation was too much. How could a complete stranger... a wolf risk himself to protect her so fiercely. She started to cry, tears falling onto the wolf's body. The deer has been wrong all along about this wolf. She shouldn't hate an entire species for the actions of a few bad apples. She realized this too late, it was all but over for her. Her soul was screaming for help, to make the wolf better again, to free everyone, and to stop this monster.

The deer soon found herself alone in a blank space. A large ancient female deer appearing before her. It spoke softly to Sarah, "Well done my child. You are starting to overcome the pain you felt when you were younger. I am one of the primal deer spirits, Aranyani. I shall grant you my blessing. Please heal the pain of others and support them with your abilities. I shall pray for your safety."

Sarah woke up from her daze and found herself holding a pink-laced parasol in her hands. She soon realized that this parasol felt just like the wolf's sword and the fox's bow. The doe recalled the words of Aranyani, that she should heal and support others. She touched the wolf's wounds and prayed from the bottom of her heart for it to disappear. Slowly and surely the damage was slowly being healed from the wolf's body. The wounds were closing as if they never were. As she healed the wounds she found herself feeling more tired than usual. The Grudge saw the wolf was being healed and screamed. She raised her claws to strike the meddling deer. Sarah panicked and opened her parasol in an effort to block the claws and to her surprise she succeeded. The claws bounced the parasol effortlessly.

"No this isn't possible!" The Grudge screamed as the wolf started to stand back up. The wolf struggled and grabbed his sword swiftly broke the chains on his ankles.

"Thank you Sarah!" the wolf said smiling at her. "Now let's turn the tides!" Alex shouted as he gathered energy in his blade. "CRESCENT SLASH!" he shouted as he swung his sword horizontally. A crescent wave of energy pulsing from the blade attacking both the Grudge and the chains holding Nick and Judy that hung around her. The Grudge was knocked back into the wall in pain as Nick and Judy regained their energy.

"Quick let's finish it off before it gets to recover once more!" Alex shouted to Nick and Judy. Both the rabbit and fox shook their heads in agreement as they regained the feeling in their limbs.

"Let's show them our teamwork then Nick!" Judy said smiling.

"The let's go all out Carrots!" Nick says smiling. As red mist was pouring from the Grudge, Judy charged on through the fog jumping high into the air to deliver an aerial strike. At the same time Nick prepared a charged arrow and was able to time his shot perfectly with Judy. Both of their attacks hitting their mark as if they were in perfect sync. In the meantime whilst Judy and Nick were on the offensive, Alex and Sarah rushed over to Kevin. The wolf swing his sword and breaking the chains and freeing him once again. The cheetah shook himself awake feeling his energy returning as he looked at the weakened Grudge.

Judy gave one last thrust of her spear directly inside the Grudge's chest. "Clear the way!" Kevin shouted towards Judy. Judy nodded and leapt sideways avoid the cheetah's charge. The quick and speedy cheetah leapt fiercely towards his opponent and with a clenched paw. His gauntlet was glowing bright red as he concentrated his power inside his right paw. Getting in close he swung a very powerful right hook to it's face to finish off the opponent. All of the red malicious mist was purged from the spirit. The feelings of regret and revenge slowly dissipating. With no anchor for these feelings the red mist was soon disappearing as if it never existed.

Normally the spirit would regain it's sense of self but this spirit was broken. It has killed others and taken lives. The five mammals saw a small blue wisp of light. The only remaining 'good' within the deceased panther's soul as it slowly vanished. A feeling of relief filled the empty basement but it was soon replaced with a shock and panic. The building started shaking violently. The fighting must have caused the mansion to collapse or perhaps it could not be stable without the spirit of it's former master. Either way the mammals quickly escaped up the stairs and out of the mansion. As soon as they stepped outside the door their weapons disappeared. The lingering feeling of dread in the air was gone, the warm rainforest air filled their lungs in it's place. At a safe distance the five watched as the mansion collapsed within itself putting a close on this adventure.

"Wow... that was a wild ride! Alex! You have to tell me everything! So are we like heroes!?" Kevin said excitedly shaking the wolf in a manner that was a little too rough on the little guy.

"Ok... ok... I'll tell you just stop shaking me..." Alex said in a panic trying to get the cheetah jock to calm down.

Thus Alex, Nick, and Judy explained everything that has happened so far to Kevin and Sarah. They explained about the Spirit World and the gates used to enter. They discussed the monsters known as Grudges that were trying to kill the living, and the organization Phantom who wants to use Grudges to merge the Spirit World and the Physical World.

"Whoa that's a lot to take in but I think I understand... I don't like what those monsters are up to and that Phantom doesn't seem like they are up to any good. If you need any extra muscle you can count me in!" Kevin said flexing triumphantly.

"That would be great! Thank you so much Kevin!" Alex said happily wagging his tail.

"I should be thanking you Alex, you saved my life." he said grinning.

"I would like to thank you as well Alex" the soft spoken doe said speaking up. "I said so many horrible things about you and other predators. I was wrong to accuse predators as a whole and lump them into one category. I'm sorry Nick and I'm sorry Kevin. You all fought so bravely to help me out. It may take time but little by little I want to get over this fear. I want to meet so many new people I was scared to talk to. You saved my life Alex and I am in your debt." She said bowing. "My primal spirit says I should support you in your endeavors and I see no reason to disobey her."

Alex and Nick were taken aback by her sudden change of heart. The life threatening situation has forcibly opened her mind to a new way of thinking. "It was no big deal...I just didn't want to see you getting hurt." The wolf said embarrassed. "But I am thankful to you as well. Without your healing touch we all would have been in real trouble." The doe smiled back as Alex complimented her.

"I'm starting to think you might be better as an officer than a programmer! You were so brave in there!" the cheetah said jokingly.

"Yes he is very impressive in the Spirit World...So much potential...he reminds me of you Nick when you helped me crack the Nighthowler case." Judy said happily. "Then it's decided Alex! We can't let that potential in you slip away! You will join the ZPD right away!"

"W-w-wait a minute Judy! You can't just decide things on your own! I don't think I'm cut out for this line of work..." Alex said trying to convince the bunny cop.

"Give it up Howler...Judy won't stop once she has decided on something... I will pray for your safety." Nick said folding his paws together.

"Safety? Nick is something dangerous?" Alex said nervous as he looked at the fox. The fox made a small gesture towards Judy as if to indicate that she was the dangerous one he was referring to.

"Well... would you look at the time...I should be heading home! Nice meeting you Sarah! Bye everyone!" Alex said quickly before bolted away from Judy. The back of his shirt still torn from the fight earlier.

"Alex! Wait get back here! C'mon please!" Judy said chasing after him.

Nick let his partner chase the wolf as he stayed behind to talk to the two Zootopia University students.

"Are you two sure about this? Things will get a lot more dangerous from here on out." The fox said sternly. Both of them nodded their heads in determination. It was as if they were awakened to a destiny they knew they had to fulfill. "Guess that means we will all be comrades. I'll be counting on you two!" The fox exchanged contact information to stay in touch and offered to drive them back to the campus.

"Thank you Officer Wilde sir!" the cheetah said saluting his future senior officer.

"No need to be so formal Spots..." the fox said giving him a wry smile.

"Hey I just thought of something Kevin...now that the mansion is in ruins...and no one will believe we defeated the ghost of the mansion...we have nothing to write our report about... and it's due in two days!" Sarah said as she remembered the assignment.

"Aw Crap! This sucks!" Kevin said looking at the ruins of the place.

"What sucks even more is how Carrots and I are going to explain it to the chief...A historical landmark in ruins after rescuing two students...we will be getting an earful for sure...I can already hear his overbearing tone..." Nick said as he tried to think of ways to explain what happened.

Meanwhile watching from afar a lone figure stood by talking on a cell phone. "Yes sir... they have destroyed one of the candidates. We now have one less prospective Eternal Grudge...Yes sir...it was that wolf and those cops...Understood...we will proceed accordingly..."


	19. Looming Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes chat amongst themselves unaware of the impending dangers Phantom has planned.

Judy finally catches up to Alex which wasn't that hard thanks to her daily life of chasing criminals. Alex stops dead in his tracks. He was extremely exhausted from the earlier fight and was tired of running. The wolf rationalized that it might be better just to talk things out with the enthusiastic bunny.

"Look Judy...I'm not opposed to the idea of becoming an officer...I'm not but...there are somethings I want to do. I mean the rush of fighting bad guys, the joy of rescuing and helping others...that feeling is indescribable." Alex begins to explain to Judy in a regretful tone.

Judy's ears lower hearing the sorrowful tone in the wolf's voice. "Then...why?"

"Ever since I was a pup I was always alone, that is until I met Jake. Remember I said we used to be best friends? Well after that incident in high school that ruined my teenage life I became a recluse. I turned towards video games, which I already loved so much as a kid, and saw it in a new light. Those games helped me get through some dark times. If the heroes in those games can overcome all those odds I felt I could too. So I decided to study hard and become a programmer. One day I want to make a game that everyone all over the world can play. My dream is to make a game to help others going through the same thing I was going through in the past. To show them that life isn't so bad you know?" Alex said sorrowfully, his ears lowered slightly.

"Wow Alex! That's an amazing! I never knew you had such a passionate dream...sorry about pressuring you. It's just when I see you act and fight in that world...you have this commanding air about you. Confident, brave, dependable...with some training I could see you becoming a top notch officer. I won't chase after you anymore but if you ever change your mind just let me know! I'll put in a good word with the chief." Judy says smiling.

"Thanks Judy! I'll keep that in mind." Alex said smiling back. It was the first time he ever told anyone about his dreams and it felt so good to finally express it. Though at that moment Alex felt a breeze hit his back, the wolf finally realizing that while the wound he received from the Grudge was healed, his shirt wasn't. The large claw mark that tore the back of his shirt was exposing most of his back for all to see. "Uh...Judy...Can you drop me off at my apartment? I don't want to walk around with my current wardrobe malfunction..."

Judy chuckled and nodded back. "Of course! Let's head back to our police cruiser then."

The two headed back and finally met up with Nick, Sarah and Kevin. It was a very tight squeeze but they all somehow managed to fit inside the police cruiser but the small wolf Alex was sandwiched between Sarah and the large cheetah jock Kevin. The cheetah was hunched over having to lower his head due to the small size of the car but he didn't seem to mind.

As Judy began driving, Nick filled Alex and Judy in on the fact that Kevin and Sarah wanted to help join them on their investigations into the Spirit World. Alex was happy that Kevin was coming with him, he would surely be a dependable friend they can count on. Yet he was mostly surprised regarding Sarah's wish to join as well. Alex wanted to get to know Sarah better and show her that a better side of wolves that she never had the chance to see.

When there was a silent moment in the cruiser Alex spoke up. "Hey guys...I was thinking we should have a name for our group! Any ideas?"

"Ooo that's a great idea!" said Judy excitedly. "How about the ZPD Spirit Force!?"

"Hmm I like that name Carrots...but you sure came up with it awfully fast...I bet you were already thinking of a name long before Alex even asked for a suggestion. Am I right?" The fox said with that typical smug smile.

Judy was embarrased not looking at Nick at all as she began stuttering. "W-well N-nick...that's...grr..."

"I know my partner well don't I?" Nick said smiling triumphantly.

"I really like the name too but how about we drop the PD part of the name since more than half our us aren't police officers." Alex said calmly. "How about the just the Zootopia Spirit Force or ZSF for short?"

Everyone nodded or shouted in agreement. Kevin was getting excited, "This is so cool! Like one of those Saturday morning cartoons I watched as cheetah cub! So who will be our leader? I nominate my bud Alex for the position."

"Huh? Wha? WHAT!?" Alex said in shock glaring at Kevin. "No way...I would...be way too nervous...I think Judy should be in charge. She looks like she has way more experience being a leader." Alex said begging for Judy to agree with him.

"Alex you would make a great leader! Since you aren't able to join the ZPD anytime soon as much as I think you are a perfect candidate...I think being a leader will help you grow and improve yourself!" Judy said happily much to Alex's dismay.

"Ugh...Nick..say something!" Alex begged.

"Sorry howls...I don't care who the leader is but if it has to be miss bossy carrots over here I might go crazy..." The fox said smirking at Judy.

"I'm not bossy! I'm just a more experienced cop than you Nick so it's important you follow my lead!" Judy said in response.

As Nick rolled his eyes and stared out the window the quiet Sarah spoke up. "I have no preference on the leader...I'm still nervous around Alex...I mean it's taking all of my willpower not to scream sitting right next to a wolf but...the way he protected me...I trust him a lot!"

Kevin smirked and grabbed Alex wrapping his arm around the smaller predator. "So it's decided! Great to be working with you leader! Oh but this is only when we are in that world. At the gym...I'm in charge got it?"

"Since when do you go to a gym Howls? That's a first!" Nick said with a slight look of shock on his face.

"Wha!? You joined a gym Alex? Even after I offered to train you?" Judy said looking a bit betrayed.

"W-wait a second..." those were all the words Alex could say before he was bombarded with follow up questions by Nick and Judy. The poor introverted wolf was not used to so much attention. He wanted to slink back his seat and close his eyes hoping it would be over soon. The wolf explained that Judy's exercise methods were too harsh to which Nick wholeheartedly agreed gaining another malicious glare from Judy. Alex also explained how he met Kevin as well.

All the while Sarah listened intently giggling at the whole exchange. Hearing predators and prey talk so normally with each other, she didn't know why she felt the way she did before. Perhaps there was a small chance everyone can get along after all.

Meanwhile in building on the outskirts of Zootopia within the Spirit World, a special meeting was talking place.

"Let's get this meeting started already... I wanna go catch more bunnies...the other dolls are getting lonely...ehehehehe!" The sound of the shrill cackling young woman's voice echoed throughout the room. Her species was unknown to anyone but herself. Her true self was hidden within in her handmade mascot-like bunny outfit. Alice was definitely one of the more psychotic members of Phantom.

"Calm yourself girl...you know the doctor is a very busy man. We should be grateful he is coming to to see us in the first place. Getting orders direct from him is an honor." The middle-aged dingo said leading back against the wall. His outfit consisting of a open black vest exposing his very athletic upper body, a leather hat on his head, and jeans. Luke was getting irritated listening to that annoying cackle of that freak of a woman.

The third member waiting in the room was a small raccoon. He successfully completed his initiation mission and finally became a member of phantom. The raccoon was not only able to steal the materials from the jewelry store, he also lead the two meddling officers into a trap. He became a thief due to society's harsh labels on raccoons in general. Phantom noticed his hidden potential to recruited him to their cause. His name was Roland and he was a typical raccoon complete with a ring tail and his raccoon 'mask', grey fur covering the rest of his body. There was a scar going down the right side of his cheek, an accident trying to escape the cops when he was younger. The young 19 year old was wearing a black jacket with a white t-shirt underneath along with some jeans. "Geez how much longer til the Doc gets here?" he whined.

"Patience boy... your annoying whining is almost as bad as hers." the dingo said flatly eyeing Alice coldly. Alice just giggled to herself enjoying the attention.

Soon enough the doctor finally entered the room. His name was Dr. Muroidea, and despite his very high status in the organization he was one of the smallest members. The rat had jet black fur, beady sinister looking brown eyes and wore a white lab coat and brown slacks. "My apologies, the latest research subjects squirmed a bit too much, we had to punish them severely."

"Greetings Doctor..." Luke says bowing respectfully.

"Yay he's here! Hehehehe!" Alice shouted in her own...charming and impolite manner.

"Hah is this a joke? This tiny rat is the doctor? Don't make me laugh!" Roland said as he started giggling. As he made his comment the room fell deathly silent. The air filled with dread and Roland felt like he was in extreme danger. Within moments of his thoughtless comment the barrel of a shotgun was pointed at the back of his head. The dingo holding it snarling in an authoritative tone.

"You'd best apologize mate...or you're not going to live to see the next few minutes. You are still new so I'll enlighten you... Dr. Muroidea is the lead scientific researcher of Phantom. Not only he is extremely deadly in combat, he is also extremely intelligent and is responsible for our advancements in our spirit-powered technology. Those Grudges we capture are used for that technology and let's us operate almost entirely in the Spirit World without any stupid cops snooping around us. Got it?" Luke said with an intense anger in his voice. Roland had no idea a mouse was so high up in the organization. He hated when he was judged by his appearance and only now did he realized that he did the same.

Getting on his knees the raccoon bowed to him like a servant to a King. "Sorry doctor forgive my rudeness!"

"Stand down Luke, he seems to have learned some respect." the rat doctor spoke. As commanded Luke withdrew his soul weapon, the shotgun disappearing into thin air.

"Well then let's get this meeting started shall we. First off I want to thank you three for helping to provide battle data from our prototype artificial grudge. For those who don't know..." he says eyeing Roland coldly, " Artificial grudges are made up of pieces of very powerful Grudges that we manipulate to follow our orders using jewels and crystals as a catalyst. A wondrous combination of technology and powers bestowed upon us by the primal spirits! They will act as our soldiers once we break down the barrier separating our reality and the Spirit World."

"Ah so that's why that red crystal turned into a lion monster..." Roland said trying to figure things out.

"Correct... that was a prototype we codenamed "Lonely Lion". It's made up from a lion whose feelings of loneliness upon death prevented him from moving on. We harvest samples from him daily since Grudge energy is nearly endless. As long as they hate and despair they will continue to regenerate...such wondrous abilities. Ah but I digress you three must be eager for your assignments." Dr. Muroidea said looking at the three in front of them.

"Yes! Yes! Please tell me it involves bunnies...It's been sooo long since I took out their intestines and stuffed them with cotton! My other dolls are crying for a new friend! Hehehehehe!" Alice said cackling showing her disregard for life in general.

"Ah you are correct for once my dear Alice. This will involve a bunny...a certain Judy Hopps...to be exact. One of our agents reported that Judy and her group have destroyed one of the Eternal Grudge candidates we were keeping our eye on. They no longer can be ignored."

"Judy! I can play with Judy!?" Alice's shrill voice echoed with overexcitement throughout the room. The girl was most likely drooling within her suit.

"Yes calm down Alice...Now then Luke and Alice, you two will get rid of those meddling officers. Once they are dead you must capture that wolf Alex. Bianca was lucky that she didn't kill him. That stupid woman has no idea of his value to our cause. She is being severely punished for her disobedience. I was going to outright kill her but she was given a second chance by the big boss himself. The wolf probably won't like another invitation so we will take him by force this time. Understood?" the rat said in an authoritative manner.

"Yes sir!" The dingo said saluting in a militaristic manner.

"This is going to be SOOO much fun!" Alice said cackling to herself imagining all the wonderful things she can do with her upcoming editiion to her 'collection'.

"As for you Roland...you will gather some intelligence for us. We believe we have found the location of the second seal. Go to these coordinates and confirm it for us. Gauge the strength of the enemy and see if you can find information on the guardian spirit protecting the seal. Do not engage anyone there, they will almost certainly kill you. Once we have the intel we can begin preparations to break the seal." the doctor said clearly and concisely.

"Understood." Roland said bowing again in respect. The early incident still spooking him. Someone like him would be perfect for that kind of mission and he intended to succeed.

"Now then go on and get out of my sight!" the rat snarled as the three quickly left the room to carry out their respective tasks. The rat muttering something to himself as they left. He muttered, "That wolf... I can't wait to get my claws on him...so much research potential...hehehehe..."


	20. The Choices We Make

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a prophetic dream Nick and Judy find themselves in danger. Sensing his friends in danger Alex must decide how to split up and who he should go save.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. Recently my dog was put to sleep and I was very depressed for a bit and didn't have the motivation to write anymore. I am feeling better now that time has passed so wanted to keep up with this series. Please enjoy!

A green field, the blue sky, and the warm summer sun shinning overhead everything was perfect. Judy happily ran through the grassy Bunnyburrow field without a care in the world. Then all of a sudden the sky turned blood red, the serene landscape became a wasteland, and the air turned bone-chillingly cold. Judy was shocked as she felt a sticky liquid underneath her. Hesitantly she carefully looked downwards and the poor rabbit let out a blood-curdling scream. It was her mother's head detached from her body. Tears flew down her face as she noticed her father's head was next to her. Looking down to her left she saw her mother's as well. Suddenly a whole slew of corpses appeared in the wasteland, all of them were relatives of hers. Sisters, brothers, cousins, and uncles all of them dead in a sea of red. Some of the corpses had missing limbs, heads, and other various body parts. Then she heard it, a certain laugh... a laugh she would never forget. It was Alice...it must have been Alice...she killed everyone. She heard the laugh growing closer and closer..but there was no where to run. Judy had lost the will to fight, the will to live, she sat there waiting for death to take her and unite her with her family. Suddenly a bright light shone as she fell to the ground unconscious.

The bunny stirred and found herself in a familiar white landscape. It was the same place she met the primal spirit of the rabbit. There he was sitting in front of her the large bunny with snow-white fur, Centzon Totochtin. He spoke in an otherworldly tone directly into Judy's mind. "Judy my child, be well you were having a terrible nightmare, but I am afraid that it is but a premonition of things to come. I sense that you are marked for death by a certain figure that you are well aware of. If you do not stop this figure you life will surely end. Do not despair for you have a power, the same power you saw within your friend Alex yet different."

"Premonition? Power? I don't understand!" Judy said trying to make sense of things.

"If you ever find yourself on death's door, scream out from your soul. If you have a strong will to live, I will be able to bestow upon you with the power you need to live. Yet as you saw this power comes with a price, your mind will no longer be yours to control and you might not return to normal. Please use it cautiously...our time is up...stay safe my child!" the primal rabbit said before disappearing.

Before she could respond Judy found herself wide awake in her bed gasping for air. She placed her paw on her heart checking to see if it was still beating as she tried to catch her breath. Tears streaming down her face once she realized she was alive and safe in her bedroom. Judy grabbed her phone she had to tell Nick what happened.

Meanwhile Nick was having a similar nightmare. This time he was imagining himself staring down the barrel of a loaded shotgun. He had been shot multiple times in his arms and legs and was unable to escape the incoming final blow. The dingo holding the shotgun smiled as he started to pull the trigger. Nick felt a strange sensation, as if something deep inside him was about to awaken as he faced certain death. The sound of a familiar ring tone cut the dream swiftly as Nick woke up in a daze still having a vivid recollection of the dream. His heartbeat rapidly as he fumbled for his phone quickly answering it. "Judy! I'm so glad it's you...I was having a nightmare just now..."

"Sorry to call you at three in the morning Nick...you were having a nightmare as well? It was horrible Nick...I guess I can't stop thinking about Alice...if I don't stop her I feel that my species might become extinct." Judy says in a determined voice.

"I had the same kind of dream but about Luke..."

"Oh about Luke huh? You have a thing for bare-chested dingoes?" Judy says playfully.

"Of course I do carrots! Just like you have a thing for creepy girls wearing a disturbing bunny costumes." The fox snidely replied back before continuing. "Anyway this can't be a coincidence if both of us are having the same kind of nightmare...we have to be on our guard."

"Yeah I agree...though in my dream I saw a slew of corpses...my father...my mother... my whole family. I am getting scared at this whole Phantom business... we need to put them behind bars quickly." Judy remarked.

"Yes let's get serious tomorrow...we still have a few hours so let's try to rest up some more, ok carrots?" Nick said rationally.

"Sounds good partner...I will see you in a few...Sorry for waking you up and...thanks!" Judy said happily smiling on the other end of the line.

"No problem!" Nick says yawning loudly. "Later!" he says before hanging up and falling back into his pillow. The fox was exhausted that dream made him feel so tired. He would need an extra large coffee tomorrow.

Judy hung up the phone and gently placed her face on the pillow. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't get those images out of her head.

The next morning Judy and Nick were on patrol in their squad car. Both were in their police uniforms and Nick wore his signature aviator sunglasses. They parked near the Savannah Central Shopping Mall each holding an extra large cup of coffee trying to wake up. It was a large indoor shopping mall inside the heart of Zootopia and was pretty famous for having a variety of specialty stores, restaurants and entertainment. There have been reports of petty thefts in the area so Judy and Nick were about to go on foot to keep the peace and stop any crimes in progress. Getting outside the squad car to stretch Judy and Nick immediately run into Sarah who is about to enter the mall.

The deer was dressed in a nice dress and held her purse over her shoulder. A white gardenia flower was also being worn on her head near her ear. "Mr. Wilde! Ms. Hopps! Good morning!" Sarah said politely.

"Morning and please just Judy is fine!" the bunny said greeting back.

"Hey petal..." Nick said yawning not bothering to correct her overly formal greeting as he was too tired to do so.

"So what are you up to today Sarah?" Judy asked.

"Just going to do some shopping. Finals are almost here and I think some shopping will clear my head. We should totally go shopping one day when you aren't busy Judy!" Sarah replied smiling.

"That would be fun count me in!" Judy said jumping for joy a bit.

While the three chatted for a bit Alex was on his way out of the mall. The brown furred wolf was happily wagging his tail holding his shopping back. He just finished buying the newest limited edition Tales of Furry game, an rpg series that the wolf followed religiously. The wolf was not going to miss getting the limited edition copy. Happily holding it in his arms like a newborn he walked outside. Not paying attention he immediately bumped into Sarah. The deer jumped back a bit seeing a wolf and screamed punching Alex in the stomach. The wolf collapsed to the ground in pain clutching the game to his stomach.

"Alex!? Oh no! I am so sorry... I am still not used to being around wolves so I panicked are you ok?" Sarah asked with worry in her face. She looked over to Judy and Nick. Judy was rushing to see if Alex was alright while Nick was laughing his tail off.

"I'm...ok...and it's my fault I wasn't paying attention." Alex said wincing as he got up and dusted himself off. "Oh hey Sarah, Judy and Nick! Nick stop laughing it wasn't that funny!"

"Yes it was Howler...haha!" Nick said trying to stop as he held his sides.

"Glad you are ok Alex!" Judy said smiling.

"I'll be fine as long as my baby here is ok..." he says motioning to the game in his paws. "I've been waiting for the limited edition release of the new Tales of Furry game for months! I wasn't sure if it was going to get localized or not but it's right in my paws! I can't wait to get home and play it for hours and hours!" Alex said with an intense amount of excitement in his voice.

Alex stopped talking when he noticed a small little fennec fox next to him. He was so cute with his yellow fur and red and black shirt and green shorts. Those large ears were extremely cute as well. The wolf had a weakness for small and cute things, it made his heart melt.

"Aww such a cute fox!" he says bending down next to what he assumes to be a lost child. "Are you lost little guy?"

"Wait Alex! He's-" Judy shouted but it was too late to finish her sentence. The little fox jumped and grabbed Alex's nose and with an incredible force brought Alex's face to the ground. Alex's muzzle was mildly injured as his head started to spin. That little boy was very strong.

"Now son is that any way to greet someone...now come here to daddy so he can give you a spanking!" Nick said in a disciplinary manner as he walked up to the fennec fox a stern look on his face. Nick really wanted to laugh again at the wolf's misery but he hasn't seen Finnick in a while and wanted to mess with him.

"Oh my gosh! Nick you have a kid!?" Sarah said in shock at the conversation.

A deep gruff voice was coming out of the tiny fox's mouth. "Only if I get to bite your face off first dad!" The tiny fox shaking his paw angrily at the larger fox who did not look intimidated one bit.

Such a deep older voice. Alex's dreams were shattered. He didn't know what was right or wrong anymore. How could something so cute sound like that!? The wolf was helped up by Judy and rubbed his sore muzzle and made sure his game was ok. The game was more important than his physical well being at this point in time.

"Ugh this is getting out of hand! Alex, Sarah that's Finnick. He's Nick's best friend and despite his appearance he is older than he looks." Judy explained. "Finnick this wolf here is Alex and the deer is Sarah. They are friends of ours helping out with a case."

"I'm so sorry Finnick! I though you were..." Alex said sadly but he was cut off by Finnick.

"Hmph...don't let it happen again or I'll bite your face off next... Now then Daddy... How have you been?" Finnick asked Nick ignoring the others.

"Just busy at work...saving the city...the usual. How about you?" Nick asked.

"Trying to find a new job...I got fired from my last one for getting too angry all the time. Going to see if they have anything at the mall." Finnick said a bit miffed.

"Well good luck to ya son! Daddy will be proud of you no matter what!" Nick said pretending to get emotional.

"Cut the crap Nick! Anyway I gotta go! Later!" Finnick said before walking in the mall in a hurry. Alex never felt so much anger before and Nick was just making it worse for no reason.

Suddenly the four heard a cry for help in the distance. Another cry rang out in the opposite direction.

"Well looks like you guys have to get to work!" Alex said smiling.

"Right! Nick I'll go help the citizen on the left and you go right!" Judy said forming a plan.

"Gotcha carrots! Later you two!" Nick said before rushing off to the right. The two completely in sync.

What was this odd feeling? Alex felt something in his heart...something wasn't right in the air. He fell to his knees breathing heavily. "The wind must still be knocked out of me from the two surprise attacks" he thought to himself. The wolf began to hear whispers, faint whispers in his head. It sounded like the voices were saying danger. Were the spirits warning him of danger or that someone was in danger.

Sarah was feeling something similar. "Alex...I feel strange like...Judy and Nick are in danger..."

Alex struggled to get up. "Yeah I think so too..but they split up...so we are going to have to as well. Call Kevin and tell him to come here now!"

"R-right!" Sarah said before dialing her cell phone.

This was going to be his first major decision as a leader. Alex was going to go one way while Kevin and Sarah go the other. Alex had the most experience so he should be fine on his own. His choice could determine the lives of him and his friends. If they failed it could be the end. Who should he go save? Nick or Judy? The wolf had to decide right away.

Meanwhile in an alleyway.

"You cops are so easy to fool...now then Judy shall we play?" The mascot freak Alice cackled as she stood next to a gate beckoning Judy to chase her. Judy's nose twitched as she charged at Alice, her dream still fresh in her mind. She had to stop his murder right here and now.

In another alleyway Nick was experiencing the same event. This time Nick was being held at gunpoint, the nearby gate his only choice of escape. "Welcome Nick...We warned you not to meddle anymore...now it's time for your punishment boy..." The dingo grinned as Nick stared him down before the fox jumped into the gate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a plan for the upcoming chapters but I am curious about your opinions. Should Alex personally save Nick or Judy? Kevin and Sarah will save the other. If enough people say one over the other I might change things slightly. Anyway thanks for reading!


	21. Threads of Despair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy confronts Alice but is soon overwhelmed by her incredible powers. Can anyone save her?

Zootopia Spirit Chronicles

Chapter 21 : Threads of Despair

A/N:Sorry again, was kind of depressed and had to find my muse to write more. Hope to get these out a bit faster but work has been hectic lately... I had a bout with anxiety as well...I won't bore you guys with too much details but for all of those who reached out to me or are sticking with me even after my 2+ months of absence you have my sincerest thanks! This will be a shorter chapter since I wanted to let you guys know I'm still around. I hope you enjoy and will continue to enjoy my future chapters and works.

Judy pursued Alice with a fervent passion. She was unaware that she was playing right into the little psycho's paws and being lead further and further away from the gate she entered from. Alice was fast, and the echoing cackles of her voice echoed throughout the empty Zootopia within the Spirit World. There were some small wisps and spirits roaming about but become frightened by Alice and ran off. Soon Alice reached a small park and stopped in her tracks not running anymore. Judy quickly caught up a bit out of breath as she confronted the rabbit killer.

"Bunnies, bunnies, bunnies... such emotional creatures... just because I killed over 1000 of your carrot munchers...does that give you the right to chase a young little girl like me throughout the city?" Alice cackled within her creepy bunny suit.

"You...you...you'll pay for all the deaths you caused...all the families you destroyed! I swear I'll put you behind bars if it's the last thing I do." Judy said as she readied her spear keeping her distance since she wasn't sure of the girl's powers or abilities yet.

"Families? Destroyed? Do you KNOW how many bunnies there are...? How many are born every second? Do you even know the names of everyone in your excessively large family? So who cares if I take a few hundred of them and skin them alive...or scoop out their intestines and stuff them with cotton. It doesn't matter! More cute little bunnies will replace the ones I killed. An endless supply of toys for me to play with and break as I please." Alice said in a joyful tone.

"How...how dare you! What gives you the right to kill others!?" Judy shouted back.

"Because I am strong...stronger than you...but don't worry I won't kill you...you are the most intriguing specimen of rabbit I've met. You may even be the one I am searching for...Now shall we play for a bit before I end your wretched existence?" Alice shouted angrily as glowing energy came out of his body, a weapon soon appearing in the costume's paw. "Doll of Demise...Agatha!" she exclaimed. The doll was a small ragged bunny rabbit doll, with crossed out eyes and stuffing coming out of it's sides. Judy could feel something was terribly wrong this was no mere doll.

Judy stood frozen in place as she examined Alice's weapon. It was another rabbit...was it someone she killed before. She had no idea what it would do either. Yet Judy had an actual weapon, a spear and Alice had a doll. In Judy's mind there was a clear advantage. The rabbit jumped forward and charged with the spear. Alice dodged instantly in a flash and delivered a swift kick to Judy sending her flying upwards. "Don't be so predictable...I'll give you one more chance."

The kick was powerful but Judy managed to recover as he landed near a tree. Using the trunk as a springboard she charged up her spear and jumped towards Alice. Left and right she jumped in hopes of confusing her but alas Alice saw right through Judy's tactics. Alice took out a hidden weapon in her costume, bladed claws that extended from the paw pads of her bunny outfit. She slashed Judy's arm directly causing her damage as she started bleeding from her left arm.

"Boring...oh so freaking boring...I thought you would be more fun..." Alice said getting irritated as he walked up to Judy who was gripping her arm to stop the blood flow. "Can't even defend yourself properly...you know nothing of the powers you can wield in this world. You are but a newborn and I should put you out of your misery..."

"Why..." the words escaped Judy's lips. "Why are you doing this? What's your obsession with bunnies about? What have we ever done to you!?" Judy shouts as she slowly backed away from Alice.

"As you might guess I am not a bunny like you...but as I child I thought they were so cute...I wondered why wasn't I born like that? Why couldn't I be a bunny? I asked my parents 'Can I be a bunny when I grow up?' to which I got the response any typical parent would say. 'Of course you can be a bunny in Zootopia anyone can be anything...' Then I grew up and realized the world is cruel...I became more than a little obsessed with them...you guys occupy my every waking thought...maybe if I can get under your skin I can know what it feels like to hop around in your body... I even made a suit just so I can be like you... Then I realized this world itself sucks...I need to destroy it and start over then I can finally be what I truly am inside...a bunny. In the new world I will be reborn!" Alice shouted as she pointed her doll as Judy.

"You...you are insane..." Judy was in complete shock as she was backed up to the tree. The doll getting closer and closer. Soon threads of cotton from the doll wrapped around Judy's body tightly. Eventually her entire body was connected to the bunny doll.

"My demise doll Agatha has taken control of your body...you are now linked to it...what ever I do to the doll...will happen to you! I'm gonna make you suffer..suffer until you beg for death!" Alice cackled as she tore cotton out of the doll's left arm causing a massive amount of blood to spill out of Judy's. The massive blood loss was making Judy start to lose consciousness. Was this the end? Would this be how she would die?

"Crescent Slash!" shouted a voice in the distance as a crescent shaped beam of light tore through the air cutting the invisible strings between the doll and Judy. The brave wolf who used that attack soon ran up to Judy's side as Alice took a jump back in shock at what she witnessed. "Judy...I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner...I felt you were in trouble and I had to come help you...You've done so much for me that I can't let you go through this alone!" Alex said bravely as he picked up and gently set Judy down by a nearby tree.

"A...Alex..." Judy said as she smiled. She was starting to fall asleep and lose consciousness but she kept breathing and trying her hardest to stay awake.

"Oh wow so the target picked poor little Judy to go after...Guess you don't care about the fox at all...I'm going to enjoy rubbing it into that dingo's face that I captured you first." Alice cackled as she charged at Alex. She used the cotton threads again to try to wrap it around the wolf but Alex was able to swing his sword and keep them from wrapping around his body. "To be able to see the strings and cut them...you are no ordinary wolf...I can see why the doctor is interested in you... Time for some special tactics... I'll just do it the hard way"

Alice rushed in with her bladed claws in one paw and the doll in the other. Alex was barely able to dodge the relentless assault from the demented girl. It didn't take long for an opening to form and Alice attached the doll onto the wolf's shoulder. The doll's arms elongated as it wrapped around the wolf like a parasite taking control of his body. "You weren't a challenge either...the wolf was so easily captured and the bunny going to bleed to death...mission accomplished! Hehehehehe AHAHAHAHAHA!" Alice cackled as Alex struggled to break free. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't move his body.

Judy saw Alex struggled and wanted to do something...anything to save him. She felt so weak and powerless. What kind of cop can't defeat a bad guy and save someone? Much less how can a cop not be able to defend themselves? It was all her fault she was too reckless and fell right into Phantom's trap. She closed her eyes as she drifted into a deep sleep that she might never wake up from.

The bunny soon heard the voice of her primal spirit. "Judy...if you want to live...and save him...awaken the primal spirit within you..." Judy's eyes sprung open as a green light shone through her big bright eyes. Her body quickly recovering it's energy and her wounds healing rapidly like they never existed. Judy was walking on all fours glaring at Alice. For the moment if one could look under her costume it would be an expression of shock.

"But I struck you down! How are you back on your feet? What's this strange energy...?" Alice said serious as she examined Judy. "Could it be? Yes...you might be the one...the one...I've been waiting for...I will capture you too...and steal your body for my own as my perfect vessel!"

With what little was left of her conscious mind Judy knew that every part of her body was screaming to survive...she knew she had nowhere to run or hide from a foe like this. She turned her attention to Alex who was in pain as the doll tightened around his body. With extreme swiftness she kicked the doll's head off with an incredible force. The doll disappearing in a flash of light as Alex was soon freed. Alice was sent flying a few feet backwards smashing her head into another of the park's trees. She slowly got up as the doll's head and body made it's way back to her attaching themselves together again.

"You...bastards...you'll pay for that..." Alice grumbled but suddenly before she could attack she stopped short. "What the? Really? Falling back? Why? Grr...you are lucky...so lucky you get to live another day... We shall meet again..." she said as if speaking to a voice in her mind as she darted away.

Alex was too tired from the doll strangling him, it was like it was sucking his life energy out of his body. He turned to Judy who looked so cute and adorable on all fours. "Thanks Judy..."

Judy stood there motionless stepping back from the wolf. Now that he was smiling and bared his fangs the primal senses within Judy were screaming danger...run away! Judy started running really fast away from Alex. "Oh no...this was like how I was before...a primal state... I...have to catch Judy and bring her back to her senses..." Alex ran as fast as he could, luckily the spirit world boosted his stamina or he would be in trouble. And so the wolf chased after the bunny...not as a predator chasing his prey but a friend trying to save another.


	22. Fox Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick is hunted by the sinister Luke Duster... will he survive the encounter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I once again have to apologize for the long delays between chapters. Work has been hell for me and I have had to work multiple weekends the past few months. Now we can resume a hopefully regular schedule now that things are more quiet at work.  
> Also I have been helping out with a phoenix wright x zootopia fanfiction and audio drama based off this fanfic called Nick Wilde Ace Attorney. I do the voice of Alex in the audio drama as well! So please check it out. The username is maddog197x on youtube (for the audio drama) and deviantart (for the written). Without further ado hope you enjoy! Comments always appreciated! It keeps me going =)

Nick emerged from the gate into the spirit realm. It was an empty alleyway in the city, similar to the one he was in before he entered. There was no time to waste as a crazed dingo was chasing after him and there was no way back. The fox immediately ran to find a hiding place...this was going to be a deadly game of hide and seek. He walked down an alleyway and jumped up some fire escapes, climbing higher to get a better vantage point on top of the building. There he looked downward from the ledge and soon saw the dingo...The smugness on the guy's face was almost at Nick's level.

He looked downward and readied his bow, his eyesight narrowing in on his target. Notching an arrow slowly in the bow, Nick remembered his police academy training and waited for the right moment to make his move. Luke Duster, the enemy hunting him down, was not to be underestimated. The last time he ran into him...it rubbed Nick the wrong way. Luke turned his body in the opposite direction, his back turned from Nick's vantage point. This was his chance, Nick fired the arrow with as much force as he could and the arrow flew directly at the Dingo's back. A smirk came across the dingo's face and in what seemed like an instant, the dingo pulled out his soul weapon, a shotgun and immediately fired a shot into the arrow countering it and overpowering the arrow. The dingo's shot flew directly at Nick who managed to duck in time to avoid it.

"Not bad, kit! Too bad a pro like me saw that one coming...or more like heard it..." the dingo shouted confidently as Luke's ears flickered a bit in the breeze and pointed out from the ear holes in his hat as he tilted it upwards to Nick's location. He flashed a toothy grin as he moved with an astonishing speed towards the building Nick was perched on. The fox scowled and grit his fangs as he got up from his location and ran to jump across the short gap to the next building over. As he did he fired a constant stream of arrows to try to hinder Luke's pursuit. Sadly the arrows were dodged easily by the agile predator.

"Let's see how you like a spirit art you stubborn kit...Satellite Beam!" as the dingo said those words he fired a blast from his shotgun into the air. Nick wondered what he was up to and soon found that there was energy gathering above him. Without warning a beam of light fired and hit his back, knocking him down and leaving a burn mark in the back of his police uniform. He groaned in pain as he struggled to get up, which left Luke with the ability to close the gap and catch up.

Nick managed to get up and saw that the dingo was on the move. Luke somehow managed to get up on top of the roof a few buildings away and was approaching fast while firing a few shots. Twisting his body, Nick managed to avoid all the blasts and started firing back. He wondered if there was a way to do what Luke did... what did he call it again...a spirit art? He concentrated and wondered...what Luke did was the same thing Alex was able to do a while ago. That wolf was able to slash the air and create a wave of energy...perhaps it had something to do with imagination? What could he do with his bow and arrow...he had to think of a name...or else he was history.

Then it came to him like a spark of inspiration. "Scatter Shot!" the fox shouted as he fired an arrow of energy from his bow. As it headed towards Luke the dingo easily dodged its straight forward path. Suddenly the arrow broke off into 5 different arrows heading in different directions. The dingo didn't think the police fox had anything up his sleeve and certainly underestimated his capabilities. Luke was finally struck by an arrow of energy as it knocked him back and grazed his left shoulder, causing him to grab it in pain.

"Hmph… you...to think you were able to learn one so quickly...damn it... you got me good, but this is far from over..." Luke said as he got up, grinning, like his wound was nothing. The two predators faced each other and stared at each other in an intense gaze. Luke took aim at the kit and smiled, his fangs showing as he pulled the trigger. "Trick shot!" he proclaimed as the bullet seemed to fly off in different directions bouncing along the ground and hitting nearby objects such that they slightly pass by Nick. Nick tried to see where the bullet was coming from next but it was hard due to the extreme speed it was flying by.

Nick jumped and somersaulted away from Luke as he fired an arrow at him, causing the dingo to jump away. As Nick's mind was preoccupied with firing, the bullet from the trick shot landed its mark, digging deep into his left leg and causing him to yelp in pain. "Is that all you got, kit? I guess this is the end...you won't be moving about with that in your leg..." he said menacingly.

Nick was bleeding from the wound in his leg. He looked at Luke fiercely as he laid there, trying to stop the bleeding. "Why...why are you doing this...?" the fox had to know what Luke wanted...why he would do such horrible things...why he was part of Phantom...even if it's only a little information, it would give him comfort even if he were to soon perish.

"Well...I was going to give you a quick and painless death...but...if you want to bleed out I'll be happy to oblige..." Luke kicked Nick with a force that caused him to land a few feet away. The fox panted heavily as he tried to stay conscious.

"As you might have been able to figure out...I used to be a solider...a sniper to be more accurate...I was fighting for this country...risking my life to keep my family safe. My beautiful wife Debora...my sons Cody and Oliver...I left to protect them from the war 20 years ago. I sacrificed so much... I went so far for them...all for nothing...When I got back home...they were dead!" Luke said with intense anger in his voice.

"The police...the ones who were supposed to protect them...failed to do their job...I came back to see their corpses smeared on the wall...they never even caught the killer. I was so angry...filled with sadness...I tried to live with the pain but it became too much...I tried to kill myself but I ended up surviving and gained spiritual awareness. Then I learned about this place...Phantom says there is a way to find their souls that are lost wandering this plane...and while I don't really care what they are after, I will do anything and kill anyone...in order to see them again..." Luke said as the gun was still pointed at the fox's head.

Nick let out a tear as he fell unconscious, his wound becoming too much to handle. "Enjoy the time you have left, kit..." As Luke walked away suddenly a fist swung in the air next to him and belted him right in the arm. It was Kevin! The cheetah was in a fighting stance as he stood by Nick watching Luke get up as he made sure Sarah was ok. The deer tried to heal Nick with her power, but Luke wouldn't have it. "Hmph… you are too late to save him, and now you two have to die!" Luke fired a few rounds at the pair but Sarah stopped her attempt at healing and blocked them with her parasol, the bullets having no effect on the shield-like soul weapon.

Kevin charged in close with intense speed, closing the gap with a punch which Luke dodged at the last second. Kevin was so close that Luke couldn't fire another shot from his weapon. Unfortunately for Kevin, Luke was trained for this due to his background and delivered a swift kick to his stomach and smacked the cheetah with his shotgun straight across the face. Sarah ran over to Kevin, who was bleeding a few feet away for immediate treatment. "Hmph...you two are no match..." he said pointing a gun at them, the fox Nick was slowly fading away behind him as he tried to cling to life.

Nick then said him...Oinari, the primal spirit of the fox. It was whispering to him...telling him to live... Nick suddenly jolted back up...his body aglow in red...his wounds closing as the bullet exited his body. His fangs bared and set to rip into anything in his path, his claws out and ready to tear his prey. His eyes looked feral as he entered his primal state. Luke noticed this surge of power and was surprised, jumping back to avoid a claw slash to his back. "What the hell?"

Soon he heard a response from his communicator telling him to back off and return to base. "Hmph… well...if you manage to recover from your insanity...I hope we meet again, kit... good luck dealing with them kids..." Luke smiled as he jumped off the building and seemingly disappeared from sight.

Sarah was frightened, the fox who had reverted to his primal state was heading for her, and Kevin was still struggling to get up... "Wake up, Kevin... Kevin, wake up!" she shook him as the green energy she was pouring into his body was still struggling to take effect.

Nick jumped and pounced towards Sarah but he was kicked away by a familiar rabbit. It was none other than Judy! But she was different somehow. Judy's primal state was resonating with Nick's primal state as the two stared off at each other... A barrier soon formed around them preventing entry...it was like a death match... two primal modes of opposites clashing.

"Kevin! Sarah!" a familiar voice shouted as Alex climbed up the ladder, panting heavily. "Oh no... Nick is like this too...We have to do something!" The wolf brushed himself off and called forth his sword trying to strike at the barrier that formed around Nick and Judy.

"Nick! Judy!" Kevin shouted as he got up and started wailing on the barrier with his gauntlets to no effect. All Sarah could do was watch as the boys struggled in vain to get through to Judy and Nick who were jumping and pouncing at each other. It was frightful to watch. One was hungry for their prey and the other was dodging for dear life. The rabbit in this case was also not as helpless as a true rabbit. It was countering any blows with kicks.

"Is there really nothing we can do? Are they destined to go at each other until one falls?" Alex said as he filled with despair at being able to do nothing to help his friends. Suddenly he heard Fenrir's voice speak to his soul.

The old primal spirit of the wolf spoke in his usual deep authoritative tone, "When two opposite forces meet in primal mode, they are locked in the eternal struggle that plagued our kind in ages past. There is a way to save them but it has to do with your hidden potential...Alex...your ability to link to others... Your link ability is special only to you...it will allow you to connect your soul to them and talk to them. If you can calm down their primal urges that should allow them to return to normal. But do be quick...they will soon reach a point where one will outwit the other...and cause an unfortunate death..."

"Link...ability...this is hard to believe...but what isn't the past few days...I'll give it a try..." Alex said in his heart. Fenrir nodded and smiled, proud of how far Alex had come in such a short time.

Alex placed his paws on the barrier and concentrated. He entered a state of mind that prevented him from hearing the outside world as Sarah and Kevin shouted at him, wondering if he was ok. The wolf needed to call out to Nick and Judy through his thoughts...his soul trying to connect with them. Alex tried Nick first and attempted to link but something was wrong...he could feel Nick wasn't trusting of him for some reason. Perhaps that was his nature but maybe if he chose to go after him...he would be more open to trusting. On the other paw he felt a mutual connection with Judy...He could feel Judy's trust for him and Judy felt Alex's admiration for her and her skills. Soon a link was formed between Judy and Alex's souls.

Alex found himself in a blank space... an area created by the link. On the other side he could see Judy surrounded by green flames. Alex ran up and slashed the green flames shouting her name. Suddenly the green flames started to dissipate and Alex's voice reached Judy's ears. "Alex! Is that you? I feel like I can hear my thoughts again...I feel that my body is returning to normal... Thank you!"

"Hehe… well you saved me before when I was like this so I had to do the same for you! But...I tried to connect with Nick earlier and I could sense his distrust in me... Do you know anything about that, Judy?" Alex asked...he was worried if Nick hated him.

"Alex...Nick is always like that...it took him a while for him to warm up to me...I had to blackmail him to force him to follow me, hehe... Don't worry about Nick...Like you saved me...I will save him..." Judy said smiling brightly.

Soon Alex found himself back in the spirit realm...the barrier disappeared as Judy was back to normal. Nick on the other paw was still in his rage-like state... Judy could hear the voice of Nick's soul. It was telling her to run away...to save herself...Would this what Nick would be like if he was actually shot by Bellwether that one time? Judy then did the impossible: she ran towards the fox who ran towards her. Judy caught him in a hug while Nick was struggling to break free. "Calm down please...Nick...it's me Judy... PLEASE!" she shouted as she started crying. Nick's primal state caused him to bite her shoulder but Judy bore the pain and continued to reach through to him.

"C...Carrots..." he murmured through his fangs as his eyes returned to normal... "Forgive... me..." Nick fell to the ground as Judy held her bleeding shoulder. Sarah ran up and used her healing power his time it was effective and closed her wound up nicely as if it was never there before.

"Whew...at least I was able to help someone today," Sarah said as she rushed over to Nick. She checked him and saw no external wounds. "Looks like he is just unconscious. Let's get out of here and give him some rest."

"Yeah...Let's leave before that dingo comes back with friends..." Kevin moaned as he rubbed his healed jaw and picked up Nick carrying him in his arms. "I don't know what you did Alex but thanks for saving Judy and Nick..."

"Yeah thanks again Alex!" Judy smiled and hugged him causing Alex to blush and feel uncomfortable as he tried to get away in embarrassment.

"I...it...it's nothing!" Alex stammered as he faced away from everyone. "Let's get going!" Alex said as he ran off towards the gate causing his friends to laugh warmly at his antics.

Meanwhile in the distance a squirrel was watching everything that occurred. "Yes...it's confirmed that both the fox and rabbit have something special inside them...it will be very useful to keep them alive for a time...as for the wolf...it's confirmed he has the Soul Link ability."

The voice on the other end the squirrel was talking to was Dr. Muroidea the head scientist and researcher of Phantom. "Hmph glad I sent you out to confirm this information, Alice and Luke are very good at what they do...they almost caused our plans to be set back if they succeeded. Though this was a good field test to determine what these fools were made of. In the meantime...the recon on the seal is complete. Time to put my plan into motion...this will be a great experiment...hehehehehe... HAHAHAHAHA!"


	23. Alter Ego

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and company meet Chief Bogo and things start to take a turn towards a new mystery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so a new arc begins! I couldn't contain myself and pumped this out fast! My writing passion is back! Hope you guys enjoy!

Zootopia Spirit Chronicles

Chapter 23: Alter Ego

Outside the gate hidden in an alleyway of central Zootopia our heroes emerged from a rough struggle. With luck on their side they reflect on the events that occurred and the sheer force of the enemy they are dealing with. However these thoughts were cut short when they saw police cars parked outside the alley. Zootopia's finest officers in a panic as chief Bogo leads an effort to find a pair of missing officers. Alex notices the sky...the sun has set...they must have been in there for a long time. All sense of time goes awry in the Spirit Plane sadly and not reporting back after their duty was over caused a panic at the precinct.

"Oh crackers..." Judy said as she ran ahead waving her tiny paws to get Chief Bogo's attention. Officer Wolford picks up her scent and alerts the chief. "Chief! What's wrong?" she said breathing a bit heavily as she gazed upwards at the massive cape buffalo in his uniform.

A look of relief was worry on Bogo's face that was soon replaced with relief. "Officer Hopps!? Thank goodness you are safe...You never reported back and we launched a search for you and Wilde... Where have you been?" As soon as he asked the question he sees Alex and Sarah walk out of the alley followed by an injured Nick being held by the athletic cheetah Kevin. Thankfully Nick was starting to come to and sees the situation out of the corner of his eye as he opened them. The fox soon realizing this wasn't going to be easy to explain even with his hustling skills.

"Who are they and why is Nick being held by that cheetah?" Bogo asked to Judy, eyebrow raised in concern.

Alex was quick to notice Bogo and remembered he looked familiar. The brown furred nerdy wolf pointed and said "Oh it's the wall I bumped into at the gym a week ago!" he blurted out without thinking. The cape buffalo chuckled upon hearing this while Alex looked away shyly covering his mouth. Sarah and Kevin were amused as well and cracked a smile.

"Forgive me if I don't remember someone I bump into..." he said motioning to Alex before turning to Judy, "Well then Hopps I'm all ears... let's hear it..."

Judy sighed. She didn't have Nick to back her up with his charm and quick wits and she would have to do this on her own. "Well...we were pursuing two cries for help and we split up to go investigate but it turns out it was a trap. Nick and I were caught by two criminals...they called their organization Phantom. We found out they were behind the jewelry heist a while ago as well. Anyway they trapped us and while it seemed hopeless these brave citizens stepped in and helped us risking their lives! The criminals got away but we both made it out ok with their help."

Alex was impressed, Judy pretty much said the truth while completely skirting around the details on the spirit realm. Though he wouldn't call himself brave or a hero...he just felt he was doing what was right.

"Whoa you helped Hopps and Wilde? Good job kid!" The friendly wolf officer Wolford said smiling and rubbing Alex's head like a pup. Alex was a bit shorter than him and while he appreciated the compliment he didn't like his fur getting messy.

"That's quite a story Hopps, you can write up a report once you get to the station but it looks like you two have been through a lot so go get some rest." Bogo said after jotting a few notes on a notepad.

At this point Nick was feeling well enough to stand up as Kevin gently put him down. "Thanks chief..." he said stretching him tired body, his uniform was full of wear and tear from the fighting. "I'm gonna need a vacation soon..."

"So who are these brave citizens who saved two of our finest officers?" he asked the non uniformed trio of mammals.

"I'm Kevin Clawhauser sir!" Kevin said saluting Bogo and puffing his chest out. "My cousin works at the ZPD and I look forward to the day of joining your ranks!"

Bogo was impressed by the cheetah's spirit and gusto. "We will be happy to have you aboard...at least you look fit enough to not stay behind a desk all day..." he said chuckling to himself.

"I'm Sarah...Forrester. I...um...just tended to Nick and Judy's injuries...I know a bit of first aid..." the deer said hesitantly.

Bogo nods and smiles trying to calm the young lady down. "Well thank you for assisting."

Finally the chief turns to Alex...the wolf shaking with nervousness. The large imposing cape buffalo and the situation was getting to him. "I...am...Alex Lykos...I...just couldn't stand by and watch...so I...kind of helped...hehehe". He said trying to sound confident.

Suddenly the calm yet stern expression on the buffalo's face turned to shock...it was as if he seen a ghost. He backed away slowly, causing concern to the others watching him. "L...Lykos...? Did you...say your last name...was Lykos...?"

Alex looked sad and worried for the police chief but all he could do was nod. "Y..yes.. that's my last name...".

"R-right...sorry it's just...well nevermind... it's not important. Thank you wolf..." he said to Alex while the rest of the officers including Judy and Nick looking shocked at how the chief acted towards Alex. "Everyone quit standing around! Get back to the station! Officer Wilde and Hopps...dismissed for the day...get some rest..." he shouted angrily as he regained his composure. The officers scrambled and got in their cars.

"Do you guys need a ride back?" Judy asked them as she opened the door to their squad car. Nick climbed into the passenger seat closing his eyes and instantly snoring. Judy sighed and smiled warmly at Nick for a moment as she noticed his sleeping face before turning back to Alex and the others.

"I'm alright...I have to go get my game from the hiding place I stashed it in and I can walk the way home. Are you ok to drive Judy?" Alex asked as he tilted his head.

"Yep I'm feeling good! You know me I am full of energy!" Judy smiled. Alex was soon reminded of the extremely relentless running coach he had in Judy...and he would rather not go through that again any time soon.

"I'm alright as well. I live close by so I can walk back, but thanks for the offer!" Sarah said as she smiled.

"As for me I'll go for a quick jog...I didn't get much action in that world and I need to get more training in..." Kevin chuckled. Judy admired his work ethic and spirit while Alex wondered if the crazy fitness bug resonated more when Judy and Kevin were closer together.

"Well guess I'll drop Nick off and head home! Thanks again! Let's talk more soon and compile everything we learned." Judy suggested and they all nodded in unison. After saying their goodbyes they were all on their way back to their homes.

Meanwhile in Bogo's personal squad car parked around the corner he sat in the dark, head on the steering wheel. He reached for his wallet and took out a photo from the old days. A photo filled with fond memories and lingering regret. "Lykos...that's one name I never thought I would hear again...Damn it...!" he shouted and slammed his fist in the dashboard, a single tear dropping from his face. "Why...after so long..."

Alex was nearing his apartment building. The landlord porcupine Mary was sweeping the front porch happily in her apron and casual clothes. They exchanged greeting as he entered the building. Soon Alex received a phone call from his cell phone. As he looked at the caller id of who was calling he immediately saw it was his boss. Quickly he answered, "Hello Mr. Hare! What can I do for you?" His boss was Frank Hare, an arctic hair and one of the heads of Icicle Gaming.

He listened to his boss talk to him and Alex's face lit up and his tail was wagging... he couldn't believe what he was hearing. The prototype gaming app he was designing is going to be featured at a technology conference and Alex was chosen to go demo and represent the company. In addition it came with a free weekend stay at the Paradise Resort, a tropical paradise located on an island in the sea south of the Rainforest district. He was even going to receive a few vouchers he can give to his friends and family to relax at the resort during the conference. This was perfect! Not only was he advancing in his career he can finally repay his friends who stuck through him and helped him face the dangerous criminals of Phantom. The conference would be a week from today starting Friday and ending on Sunday. Alex graciously accepted the offer and got off the phone jumping for joy as he ran up to his room to celebrate.

Alex immediately called and invited Kevin and Sarah who first congratulated the wolf and accepted the offer. He was hesitant to bother Nick and Judy but he caved in and called Nick first. Nick sounded ecstatic and quickly asked if he could bring his buddy Finnick along. Alex mused that Nick recovers quickly and said that he had a voucher for Finnick but he had to promise that the little fox wouldn't maul his face. Nick couldn't promise anything and Alex begrudgingly accepted. Judy was also happy for Alex and said she wanted to invite Ben to the resort as well. Luckily he had one more voucher for Ben and thus he used up all his extra tickets.

Alex collapsed on the bed happily hugging his pillow and wagging. He was so excited it would be hard to sleep but soon the exhaustion from the escapades in the Spirit Realm crept in and sleepiness took hold. Getting comfortable he removed his shirt and shorts leaving his boxers on and dived into the covers. Closing his eyes he softly drifted to bed.

The wolf yawned in his bed as he woke up from his sleep, it was still in the middle of the night so he decided to go to the bathroom since he forgot to brush his teeth. Turning on the light he groggily started to brush his teeth as he stared at the reflection of himself in the mirror. Perhaps it was his imagination but he looked better than he usually did...he was starting to look leaner and had a tiny bit more mass where he didn't before. It was barely noticeable to others but he knew his body better than anyone and was happy that the workouts and fighting have at least been improving his body.

Closing his eyes he imagined what it would be like to be stronger...more dominant. His life would be so much more easier if he was an alpha wolf...tall...strong...and a determined leader. Memories flashed back to Jake's torment of him...calling him an omega wolf...a strong insult for his species. Not that Alex paid any mind to it but it hurt him deeply. One day he would show him...he would see that he was wrong to do that to him...to betray him...to demean and humiliate him.

Alex opened his eyes and was in shock...the reflection...something was wrong with his reflection...In the mirror he saw a larger version of himself...Tall enough that at his currently height he would only be at the reflection's chest level... The wolf in the mirror was board and strong looking with lots of lean muscle mass and a strong confident muzzle.

"Wha...what the h-hell...is this r-r-real..." Alex stammered as he stared at his 'reflection'.

"It's as real as you want it to me...I am you of course...The alpha that sleeps deep inside you..." The reflection smiled as it stepped out of the mirror. Alex stepped back in shock wondering if he was dreaming.

"Whoa...wait...you are me...? No...I'm not like you..." Alex said to himself

"But it is...look at you...so weak and wimpy...can't even speak confidently...wouldn't it be better to lead me take the lead? I can make your life so much better!" The mirror Alex said smiling flashing a toothy grin.

A weird feeling as gripping his heart, Alex gripped his chest. It was an intense pain that only hurt more as the reflection got close to him. The nerdy Alex panting heavily with a look of shock as the 'alpha' approached.

"No...this isn't right... stay away..."

The mirror Alex grinned as he stalked Alex and backed him into the wall. "Not your choice..." The mirror Alex pounced at Alex who barely dodged as he scrambled on the floor. The alpha was toying with him like a prey animal...if he didn't do something...who knows what would happen. Alex grabbed the nearest thing, an empty hamper where he put his dirty clothes and thew it at the mirror Alex. The hamper flew through the other wolf and passed through striking the mirror behind it shattering it into pieces. The alpha wolf also shattered with the glass disappearing as if it was never there. Alex gripped his heart tightly breathing heavily as he started to cry uncontrollably. He was scared...scared he was going to be erased...

"What the hell...what the hell was that?"

Meanwhile... in the realm of the primals... Fenrir, the primal wolf was watching Alex's struggle through the nearby river's stream, nestled in a peaceful forest meadow. "Forgive me Alex...but...you must overcome this trial...Please endure...for the sake of all..."


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events before the island vacation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We now to return to our irregularly scheduled chapter! The character of Boomer is an OC used with permission from my friend maddog197x. I might be open to some cameos in the future if anyone is interested.

A few days later a more energetic looking fox entered the doors of the first precinct of the ZPD. He was feeling a lot better and back to his old self. Memories of how he was saved again by his best friend and partner Judy Hopps remained fresh in his mind, especially the memories of how he couldn't control the overwhelming force of the primal energy within him...and he bit the poor rabbit. The past few nights were not the best for him...he kept having nightmares...what if he wasn't emotionally shocked back to normal? What if he killed Judy? It was these thoughts that stayed fresh in his mind as he entered wearing his uniform, walking over to his partner chatting with an overexcited chubby cheetah.

"Morning Carrots...I have something for you..." said the fox while the bunny looked him curiously.

"Morning Nick...what do you mean?" she asked, a smile across her face as well a look of wonder.

Suddenly from behind his back, the fox produced a beautiful bouquet of flowers and presented it to Judy who looked so shocked she was taken aback. An excited cheetah was squealing with joy as he watched the public display the fox was putting on.

"N-N-N-Nick!? What's the meaning of this...? This is beautiful but you didn't have to do something like this." Judy says as she hesitatingly accepts the bouquet, inhaling the aroma of the wonderful selection.

"It's nothing..." he said sly and cool, a complete contrast to Judy's reaction. The fox definitely had practice doing this. "Just wanted to say thanks for being such a great partner." He slowly inched closer to her, his paw extending into the bouquet. Judy eyed the extended paw and saw that it was pointed to a carefully hidden card inside.

Judy carefully took out the card from the flowers and read it to herself. The letter read: "Hey Carrots...I just wanted to give you these flowers as thanks for saving me back in that world...The thought of what I did to you there still haunts my thoughts... I am truly for hurting you physically and I am sorry for any emotional damage I have caused. I couldn't have asked for a better partner and I hope you have it in your heart to forgive me. Always your partner... Nicholas P. Wilde." Judy started tearing up reading it and ran up to hug Nick who looked shocked.

"You dummy...we're partners...I'll always have your back..." Judy said smiling as the fox returned her hug. The cheetah watching was gushing with emotion and the sound of him taking pictures with his cellphone snapped the two back to reality. "Wait Clawhauser... this isn't what it looks like..." Judy said as he jumped up and tried to grab his phone to delete the picture. Nick stood there as Judy tried to effortlessly explain the situation to the cheetah and smiled warmly at the bunny.

A few hours later during their lunch break...Judy succeeded in deleting any photos Clawhauser had that could be used to embarrass her. Yet she wondered a bit why it would be embarrassing, Nick didn't even flinch to try to help her with it. She stopped this line of thinking when Nick, who was eating a bug burger inside their squad car, asked her a question. "So Carrots...while I was recovering...did you find any leads on those two?"

She looked a bit dumbfounded as she recomposed herself, finishing taking a sip of her carrot smoothie. "Ah right...I couldn't find anything on that demented girl... she's still a mystery. I mean there are reports in the surrounding towns about missing bunnies but it was a few years ago and nothing really conclusive came from those investigations...As for Luke...it was true that a serial killer murdered his family... twenty years ago...and the murderer was never brought to justice. The ZPD failed to find any trace of the victim...which leaves me to conclude that...the murderer must have had a special means of escape..."

Nick immediately caught on to her line of reasoning. "We did witness it before...using the realm as a back door... you could theoretically create the perfect crime. You would leave no trace as evidence and then you can reappear wherever you pleased if you found a gate...So the killer must have...damn it... how was the ZPD supposed to track them down? And who knows there could be a killer out there in this very city who has access to that world..."

"Yeah that is a scary thought... we also have Phantom to worry about now...we still don't know their plans...but it seems like each of them have their own reasons for joining. At least we found out about Spirit Arts from out last encounter with them...if we can master some we will stand a better chance..." Judy said confidently. She was recalling back to a meeting they had in Nick's apartment they day after they returned from fighting Luke and Alice. They all traded information with each other about what happened and learned a lot. She did recall however that Alex seemed distant...distracted by something but she figured it must have been fatigue.

"Yeah...but we have to keep an eye out for them still... hopefully this vacation Alex won will let us relax..." Nick said putting his chair in a reclining position relaxing his arms as he rested a bit on their break.

"He didn't win it... his company just let him invite guests for free...but yeah it will be nice to spend time in the sun...I still have to pick out a new swimsuit... and we only have two days left before our trip." Judy said as she made a mental note to go to the mall after her shift ended.

"A hot bun with hot buns on the beach...that sounds redundant... hehe". Nick said poking fun at Judy with a mischievous toothy grin.

"You are such a jerk sometimes..you are totally gonna get it when I own you in beach volleyball..." she said confidently.

"Bring it on carrot breath..." Nick said raising his aviator sunglasses and gave a competitive glance at Judy.

Elsewhere Alex was moping about in the gym after being forcibly dragged by Kevin to go. The wolf was copped up in his apartment the past few days...still traumatized by what occurred in the bathroom that night. He still hasn't replaced the mirror for fear that "he" might show up again. In fact he has avoided most mirror like objects on instincts. It was a horror movie made real...who knew if that kind of personality was still inside him waiting for the opportunity to come out.

As he thought more about his situation the spaced out wolf was shot back into reality by a screaming cheetah in his face. "Alex!? Get a grip... this isn't the time to be spacing out..." Alex looked around and saw the cheetah wearing boxing gloves and a white sleeves top and black shorts. They were in a boxing ring and Alex was wearing a light green t-shirt and blue shorts, boxing gloves also donned his paws.

"Right...sorry...Kevin... I have a lot on my mind with the convention coming up... hehehe" Alex said lying through his fangs...he didn't want to involve Kevin in something that might not even be real. "So what were we doing again?" the wolf said asking an obvious question.

"Sparring of course... we need to be fighting fit and what's better than fighting it out with boxing gloves in the ring!" the slim muscular cheetah said smiling as he slammed his gloves together.

"That's true I guess...but shouldn't I have like a wooden longsword? Then it would a real sparring match! It's not fair that gloves are so similar to what you really fight with..." Alex said sighing as Kevin had a clear advantage.

"Don't be like that dude... besides we practiced punches before entering the ring and while yours lacked power...you definitely showed good technique and control for your first time doing it. So let's just have a friendly match so you can practice dodging and hitting me." Kevin said tossing him a protective boxing helmet before putting his own on. The wolf reluctantly put his on. His arms were throbbing in pain from all the punches the cheetah had him do on the punching bad... he just wanted to go home and lay down.

"Alright now put up your paws and get in the stance like I showed you..." Kevin got into a boxing stance and Alex mirrored it. "Ok now come at me... I'll throw some light punches your way so try to dodge or block them." Kevin was fast on his feet as he bounced around and speed toward Alex. What was considered light for Kevin hurt quite a bit for Alex as he was misjudged the power of his punch causing the arm he blocked with to sting a bit.

"I thought you said a light punch...geez..." Alex rubbed his arm as he groaned and stared at Kevin who was enjoying himself.

"C'mon even in training you have to be a little serious and it was light for me hehe." he said confidently flexing his arms where caused Alex to narrow his gaze and furrow his brow in annoyance. He needs to wipe that smug grin off his face.

Alex tried lunching forward with a wild cross but Kevin caught it with his glove. The cheetah instinctively countered and knocked Alex in the face. Thankfully the boxing helmet protected him but it send the wolf flying into the ground. "Oh my gosh Alex! I'm sorry that was an accident." The wolf looked like he was out cold as Kevin tried to wake him up. In an instant the wolf's eyes sprang open and he got up rather quickly.

"I'm fine let's continue... and no need to hold back...I won't accept anything from you...and I will show you my potential..." Alex said in a deeper voice than usual his eyes looking fierce and determined. Kevin paid no mind to the odd line and attitude as it got him in the fighting spirit.

"Alright then wolf... bring it...! Show me what you got!" Kevin said zooming in and throwing a punch to Alex's chest. The wolf dodged with an intense speed and landed a punch in Kevin's gut. The punch had an immense force behind anything the wolf ever did to the punching bag earlier. The cheetah was knocked back and was panting looking at Alex who had a stone cold stare in his eyes, it was somewhat menacing...like a predator looking at his prey.

"What's wrong is that all you got? Or are you a weakling?" said Alex who smirked. It was like his whole personality changed after being knocked to the ground. Kevin thought it was odd and got up back in a stance. Perhaps another punch to the noggin would stop the wolf's attitude. Yet before he could react Alex closed the gap and punched the cheetah's forehead knocking him into the ropes. The wolf confidently put his foot ontop of Kevin's stomach and looked down on him. "Hmmph not even a warm-up...don't try to challenge your alpha again..."

Kevin groaned and shook his aching head...'Alpha?' what was Alex talking about. "Alex...what's wrong with you...?" The cheetah was confused. He wasn't too hurt but he was wondering if his punch caused a concussion to the wolf's head... anything to explain this odd behavior.

Suddenly Alex grabbed his head in pain and backed away screaming in agony. "Nggh... damn it... why..." he moaned as he suddenly slumped to the ground. Alex looked and saw a hurt Kevin looking at him with worry. "Oh no...what have I done...what is happening...I'm sorry...so sorry Kevin..." Alex ran off as tears flowed from his face, down his muzzle and landed on the boxing ring below.

"Wait Alex...!" Kevin said getting up and running after him. With his speed he caught up and asked Alex what happened.

"I'm sorry Kevin... I don't know what's wrong with me...I just..and then..." he was too emotionally charged to say anything but Kevin smiled anyway. "Listen...you pack quite a punch there...I'm really proud of you... just go easy on my head next time alright? We cool?"

Alex couldn't look Kevin in the eye, the jock was too cool and calm. If the situation was reversed he wouldn't forgive the other party but Kevin wasn't like that at all. "Right...I'm sorry..." Alex said as he hugged Kevin who patted his back.

After the episode Alex returned to his apartment. His doubts confirmed...there was an alternate personality inside of him...as for the reason it appeared...Alex believed it to be related to his unlocking of the "link" ability. Fenrir said it was a unique ability only he possessed...maybe he linked his mind to an alternate personality? Either way...he needed to find a way to get rid of it. Alex thought for a bit before fatigue hit him like a punch to the face and he was out cold in his bed.

Alex kept the secret hidden from his friends as they all boarded the ferry to the island where the Paradise Resort was built ready to welcome the passengers with open arms. He dubbed the alternate personality 'Alpha'. Alex's bags were packed with his laptop and all the clothes and equipment he needed to represent his company and relax on this trip.

The ferry soon departed and headed for the island. Alex stood on the deck feeling the salty sea air in his nose and stood next to Judy and Nick. Kevin was with his cousin Ben making sure he wasn't eating the free samples of food offered during the ride to the island. Sarah was chatting with Finnick who seemed really interested in his small and cute face despite the personality behind said face. The motion of the boat rocked back and forth...back and forth...back and forth...over and over... Alex was getting dizzy... feeling something in the pit of his stomach trying to come up. His paw over his muzzle as he started to feel sick.

"Howler...? You ok? Don't tell me you get sea sick?" Nick said grinning wearing his sunglasses and Hawaiian shirt.

Judy wearing a nice pink top and blue jeans looked worried, "Alex head inside the boat rocks less in there you should feel better. If not there is a bathroom inside." Without another word Alex dashed inside running past other passengers as he found a seat to sit down and settle the motion. As he headed for the seat he didn't notice the smaller prey animal in his path and they both collided. Alex lost it inside the nearby garbage can his head landed in as the other animals was knocked to the ground.

After Alex cleaned up in the bathroom he left it to find the animal who he bumped into looking up at him with concern. "You ok? I could get someone for you if you need it." The animal was a beaver dressed in a black shirt and khakis.

Alex sat down in a nearby chair and smiled. "Yes thank you...I feel a bit better and sorry for bumping into you like that...as you could tell I got sea sick... I'm Alex...by the way..what's your name?"

"My name is Boomer pleasure to meet ya!" The beaver smiled as they shook paws. "So you heading to the island for some fun and relaxation?"

"For a bit yes...but I have an important conference to attend there...thankfully after I present for my company I have leave to enjoy the island resort. I am a programmer for Icicle Gaming so this tech conference will help our business a lot." Alex explained.

"Ah nice! I'm a defense attorney myself...I definitely need a break from all that court room drama so coming here is a nice change of pace. If you ever are in the need of anything I'm happy to help. Predator or Prey everyone needs defending!" The beaver handed Alex his business card.

"Wow that's really cool!" Alex wagged interested in the beaver's profession. It reminded him of some visual novel games he played in the past.

"I'm gonna head out to the deck to get some air and some pictures but hope to see you around soon Alex and hopefully not in the courtroom without me by your side!" He chuckled as he walked away.

Alex waved goodbye as he put the card in his wallet...who knows it might be useful one day. Alex relaxed in the middle of the boat as it rocked less than the deck and soon the passengers arrived on the dock of the island. Everyone was blissfully unaware of the events that were about to unfold on this seemingly peaceful island of 'paradise'.


	25. Island of Paradise and Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the technology convention and some relaxing time at the beach but fate has other plans!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Worked reared it's ugly head again but stayed up late to churn out a new chapter. Also it's officially been a year since I started this fanfic! Thank you everyone who was been here since the beginning and the new comers who are reading for the first time! This is my first ever writing project that has lasted this long and I want to see it through to the end! As always comments and reviews are appreciated! They help keep me going! Thanks everyone for being so awesome and I hope you enjoy all the new twists and turns coming up!
> 
> The character of Boomer is an OC used with permission from my friend maddog197x

As soon as the boat landed on the island Alex immediately headed to check-in. The journey made him more sick than he thought. All he wanted to do was lay down and prepare for his presentation at the conference tomorrow. "Because he was the main presenter for his company he was given a room in the deluxe VIP tower. A separate building away from the main hotel. It was about 10 feet tall and was only for the very rich or the very important business executives. It was an honor to even get selected for the position but to stay in such a luxury suite was beyond words, it was a dream come true. He was given a special key card to get into the building and to enter his room and after saying goodbye to his friends he headed to his room and collapsed on the bed, throwing his suitcase across the room and sighing heavily, breathing in the nice clean smell of the sheets. The view outside was gorgeous showing off the tropical beach he could hear the nice relaxing waves of the ocean. Soon everything grew dark as he closed his eyes and he fell asleep lulled by the white-noise of the ocean waves.

It was the next day and Alex was awoken by the smells of the free gourmet breakfast being prepared a few rooms down, his sense of smell immediately picking it up. After taking a quick shower, putting on his nice business clothes and grabbing his things he headed to go grab some breakfast. He wanted a somewhat light breakfast so he just grabbed a few of the items from the breakfast buffet and headed down to the conference hall in the main hotel area. He checked his phone and there was a group chat message saying that everyone is meeting up in the morning to go to the beach started by Judy. So far Kevin, Sarah, and Benjamin Clawhauser accepted the invitation. Alex replied 'Sorry my presentation is today but I am free this afternoon after the luncheon.' Judy replied that they will all try to meet up with Alex in the afternoon. Nick and Finnick however replied to stop spamming them with text messages from the group chat since they wanted to sleep in. This turned into a spam war between Nick and Judy about how Nick needs to stop being lazy on vacation and how Nick wants to relax on a vacation. Alex chuckled but immediately muted his phone since it keep blowing up with messages.

The presentation went very well at the Technology convention, the application that he demoed showed a lot of promise since it was not only a game but also helped to promote education in the technology and engineering for children. Most however were impressed that a mostly prey species company chose a wolf as their representative or that a wolf was even one of the presenters at all. Predator species were rare in this field. After the presentation ended he was approached by a nicely dressed lion, an investor most likely, who shook his hand. "Hello my dear wolf! That was an amazing presentation! I'm Leon Kingsly head of the Savanna Industries, we deal in a variety of technologies, medical, automotive, manufacturing, etc... but we are very interested in going into the mobile frontier...how would you like a position at head of mobile development at our company?" he said in a pompous yet persuasive voice. This was another rare occurrence of a predator having a kind of career such as this but seeing he looked like more of a business mogul than someone interested in technology.

Before he could respond a smaller yet loud voice came from below him, "Tch... You don't wanna get involved with him..." Alex's sensitive ears heard it and looked down to see a mouse in a business suit, he helped the mouse up off the floor and put him on a nearby table so he can better hear him. "Thanks...my name is Vincent Squeak, you should ignore this big dumb brute and work for me doing something useful. You should help my company Mammal Medical...your capabilities could help develop medical technologies and save lives..."

Again before he could respond another pair came over to him, this time from one of Icicle Gaming's competitors Echo Games, a pair of consisting of a spotted hyena and a zebra. Echo Games was a much larger company that was global and one of the best places to work. "Heh you showed a lot of promise there kid...I'm Zack Stripes and this is my assistant Shawn Chuckles. We would like to provide you with an offer as well...you could stay in gaming and work in an environment that isn't as racially biased against predators. Give it some thought."

Alex was backed into a corner with three different offers, in the end he accepted their business cards and handed them his own. This was amazing...but would he leave his company to move to a different position? Icicle Gaming did look past his wolf physique and gave him a shot and now he was one of the best programmers in the company after about a year working there.

Soon it was time for lunch and Alex quietly grabbed some gourmet bug burgers with contained lots of high grade ingredients which tantalized his taste-buds. He was soon approached again by the lion who sat down at the empty chair next to him. "So...any thoughts on my offer? You would get some nice green coming your way..." he said in a calm manner.

"It's all so sudden...like I said earlier I need to think about it..." Alex said courteously.

"Got it...no worries but this offer doesn't last forever... Let me just give you some words of wisdom...don't trust that mouse... rumor has it that he is known for mistreating his employees...making them work long hours and treating them like crap...especially larger predators like ourselves... Anyway think about it..." he said before leaving the table to mingle with others.

Soon the mouse Vincent climbed up the table and talked to him offering him a similar offer. Alex mentioned what the lion said and this caused the mouse to scowl. "That bastard... he sure loves spreading lies...you see his company has a rival division that also deals with medicine and it rivals my own and he wants to bring me down... listen...do you really want to work for someone as underhanded as him? Also kid if you want money this would be way more lucrative than making games... Give it some thought..." The mouse said as he soon slid down the table cloth and walked away.

The two representatives from Echo Games showed up next. Alex wanted to relax but he figured this was all part of the business game...next time he might reject the offer since he had to deal with all these high pressure deals and powerful mammals. Surprisingly this one was less hostile then the other two and it was a friendly chat about gaming today and Alex found himself actually enjoying himself. Curious he asked Zack, the zebra, "Hey do you know what's the deal with the lion and mouse?"

Zack frowned and responded, "Those two are known to be super competitive...it's true there are rumors about the mouse Vincent mistreating predators but there are also shady rumors regarding the lion Leon... some say his medical division was involved in helping Mayor Lionheart hide out those poor victims last year during the Nighthowler situation... but it was never proven. Anyway...we need to get going...we have an appointment at the spa! Even if you don't take our offer let me know if you need any help! You seem like a good guy!" Alex nodded and smiled back as they left.

The wolf finished eating uninterrupted and checked his phone which had over 200 messages. Most of it was a back and forth war between Judy and Nick with Nick pushing Judy's buttons for laughs. Alex responded that he was done with his convention and that he can hang out for the rest of the day. Kevin responded that everyone was at the beach and to head over ASAP. Alex gulped...he hated the thought of walking around like that in public...mostly because of embarrassment over his body. He took some deep breaths and sucked it up...heading to his room to change to his bathing suit and head out.

Alex decided to stop inside the hotel to check out the rest of it, besides the large convention center, he saw there was a casino inside, a very large bar, various restaurants and stores on the first floor and basement levels of the hotel with the rooms on the 10 floors above him. There was also a large pool with a variety of slides. His destination was the beach which was close by but a familiar face caught his eye. It was Boomer, the defense attorney dong some swimming in the pool. Alex waved to the beaver who greeted him in return. "Hello Alex! Just getting some swimming done! What are you up to? Going for a swim?" he asked.

"Nah...just meeting up with some friends at the beach, I was just presenting at the convention just now and it stressed me out...I wanna go to back to my room and play some video games but I promised I would hang out with them..." Alex said honestly.

"Oh that technology convention? Wow you must be a pretty smart guy...I'm guessing everything went well?" Boomer said swimming closer.

"Hehe thanks... and yep it went well but it's stressful to deal with all those high powered business people...and I felt super nervous...how do you handle it in the courtroom?" the wolf asked shyly.

"It comes with practice...even I get nervous before a tough trail...just have confidence in yourself and things will go your way!" He said smiling as he kicked his feet in the water holding onto the side and looking up towards Alex.

"Easier said than done... anyway I'm just glad it's over. Nice seeing you again! Later!" Alex said waving to the beaver as he headed towards the beach.

It was around 3 pm and the beach was full of animals swimming and enjoying themselves. Alex was wearing a light zip up hoodie that was a light green color, a light colored choker, and his dark blue bathing suit. The hoodie was zipped up about half-way since it was so hot but he wanted to stay covered as much as possible. He saw Judy wearing a one-piece pink swimsuit running up to him.

"Alex! You made it! Aren't you hot like that?" Judy asked as she walked with Alex leading him to their spot.

"Hehe I'm alright..." Alex said shyly trying not to think about the heat or the fact that the sand felt weird to the touch. He saw Nick sunbathing on a lounge chair wearing his sunglasses. The fox somehow managed to find a swimsuit that was a near copy of his usual Hawaiian shirt. Kevin was making his cousin Benjamin swim in the water despite his weight. Sarah was busy fawning over Finnick making sure he was taken care of and chatting with him a lot as they sat on a towel together. Sarah seemed to like cute little animals a lot...but it was kind weird seeing her so weirdly talkative. Out of all of them Judy, Kevin, and Nick had the most athletic bodies due to their occupations and lifestyles, while everyone else besides Benjamin was average for their species.

Soon they all converged and greeted Alex, and somehow Alex was roped into being in a beach volleyball match. Apparently Nick and Judy had a bet to see who would win earlier and now it was time to see it through. They headed over to an unused beach volleyball net and soon the teams were decided. Finnick refused to play, mostly due to his small height but mostly due to his lack of interest. Nick however used his charm, with a bit of fast talking, to make him at least be a score keeper. The teams were Judy, Alex, and Sarah versus, Nick and the Clawhauser cousins, Kevin and Benjamin.

The first server went to Alex, he was nervous as he was being stared at by everyone waiting for him to server. "Just a heads up...like I mentioned a hundred times before...I am not the best at this...in fact...I suck...I hate sports!"

"It'll be fine...Alex just do your best! All you have to do is try!" Judy said encouragingly.

"Easy for you to say... fine...here goes..." Alex said as he wound up and severed the ball. The ball flew out of his paw with a sufficient amount of power. He watched it fly and hit the metal pole of the Volleyball net, then as if to spite him the ball bounced off the pole and bounced right into his face hitting him in the nose and knocking him to the ground, glasses flying off and landing in the sand.

Everyone was in shock and awe at what they saw...but eventually Nick and Finnick started bursting out laughing. "I can't believe it! This wolf is a riot! You were right Nick!" said the deep gruff voice of the Finnick. Kevin couldn't help but laugh a bit as well, what were the odds that would happen? Clawhauser looked concerned as did Sarah and Judy as they rushed over to check on Alex. The game was put on hold as Alex recovered, his nose started bleeding from impact.

"Such a pathetic display Alex...but you always sucked at sports..." said a familiar and menacing voice.

Alex turned to see the familiar, tall, and muscular dark furred wolf Jake walking up to him in a speedo. He scowled as he did, "What the hell are you doing here Jake?"

"Just landed on this island this morning thought I'd get a vacation in but it turns out they let omegas in here..." Jake said walking up and towered over Alex by a few feet.

"Take that back!" Alex said for some reason. Usually he wouldn't stand up to him but for some reason he felt braver? He wasn't sure but his heart was beating very fast.

"Make me runt! An omega wolf should obey their alpha!" Jake said pushing him a bit.

This made Alex snap...he felt his grip on the situation falling as his alternate personality took over. He didn't see it coming but it was slowly creeping up as he felt the helplessness against Jake. Alpha was now in control and he did not like being labeled an omega. The Alpha personality took of the hot restraining jacket and lunged at Jake wrestling him to the ground. Jake was surprised and taken aback by the sudden change in personality and the increase in strength Alex showed and was knocked to the ground. As soon as the shock wore off he was started at Alex's growling face...it looked feral like he was going to bite his face. Not wasting time, his police training took over and soon had Alex face down in the sand, escaping thanks to his stronger physique and police academy training. "Not bad runt...but you need to do better than that." Alex's arm was in a lock and no matter how much he flailed he couldn't break free.

Nick and Judy ran up to the two fighting wolves. "What's going on here?" Nick said wondering.

"Your buddy here attacked me...if I wasn't off duty I would cuff him..." Jake said smirking.

Judy ran up to Alex who was still growling on the ground, "Snap out of it! What's gotten into you?" the young rabbit said as she shook the wolf trying to bring him to his senses. Soon Alex's eyes became calmed as he stared at Judy's concerned face. "I...I don't know... I...just...felt like a different person...this happened before when I was with Kevin...I'm sorry..." Alex started crying and as soon as he did Jake let go.

"Feh...you deal with him Hopps and Wilde...tell him I won't go easy on him next time..." Jake said as he walked away.

Alex wiped the tears away as he coughed and gapsed for air, rubbing his bruised body.

"What was that about?" asked Judy.

"Yeah that wasn't like you howler... I mean I know he was a jerk but you don't have to snap like that..." added Nick. The two officers helping Alex up off the ground.

Kevin who saw the whole deal ran up to Alex, "Whoa for a second there it was just like when you beat me up...but I guess that ass was better prepared than I was..."

"Beat up Kevin? You?" Judy asked in shock.

"Well...you see during a training session with Kevin...something just snapped in me...just like now...it feels like something is taking over my body...I'm scared..." he said shaking a bit. "I'm sorry again Kevin..."

"No worries...like I said I'm not even mad about it, I'm just surprised you had it in you." Kevin said happily, this only added to Alex's anxiety about the situation. He didn't deserve a good friend like him.

"Something taking over your body...it's similar to other times that happened to you before sure but this actually happened in the real world...We need to keep a close eye on this..." Judy said thinking hard about the recent events. Her analytical mind working even on her vacation.

"Hey maybe you should go back and rest buddy you had a stressful day... Let's meet up for dinner later and Carrots can treat." Nick said concerned for Alex. Judy nodded in agreement before stepping on Nick's tail regarding the part he snuck in at the end.

Alex dried his eyes and headed back to his room. As soon as he arrived he laid on his bed screaming into the pillow wondering what the hell is wrong with him. Suddenly his phone vibrated, he checked it and found he had a new email. It was from Leon...he wanted to apologize for being so forceful and treat him to dinner, he wanted to meet in the lounge on the 2nd floor. Alex thought it was sweet and while he wasn't interested in the offer it would be rude to turn it down. It would also be good to find out more about his company. He replied to accept the invitation and heading down to the lounge at the specified time. The door was closed when he arrived and he opened the door, it was dimly light but he could see a bit thanks to the sunset shining through the window. Suddenly everything went dark..he felt a pinch in his skin. Alex looked down and saw there was a dart syringe in his arm...it looks like he was injected with something. An intense dizziness overwhelmed him...he fell to the ground growling...it was like something feral has taken over him. It wasn't the Alpha personality but it was like how he felt during the primal state he was in before. He couldn't concentrate...his grip on himself fell through as his vision blurred...and it all went black.


	26. Alex is a Murderer!? Beginning of the Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex awakes from being knocked out to find someone he just met dead next to him. Did he commit the crime or was there another who manipulated everything from the shadows?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hope you enjoy this mystery inspired by Ace Attorney and the Danganronpa series. Good luck figuring it out! This is my first time writing a mystery type scenario so feedback welcomed!
> 
> A/N 2: The character of Boomer is an OC used with permission from my friend maddog197x

An unknown amount of time had passed. Alex's mind was blurry as he opened his eyes. He was in a dark room, a strange smell was in the air. One that was familiar to him but should be here...the smell of blood. "Where...am...I?" he said groggily. He tried to get up but his whole body felt like it shutdown. Suddenly a loud knocking was heard. An angry voice shouting "Open up! Unlock this door now! This is the ZPD!". That voice...was it Jake?

"I'm breaking down the door!" Jake said and quick the door was swung open through his brute force shoulder tackle. The light stung Alex's eyes as he adjusted to the new brightness. A scream of a young woman hurt Alex's ears as the scream was followed by shocked gasps. The scream was also familiar... it was Judy. As his eyes adjusted he saw Jake, Nick and Judy along with some unfamiliar faces behind them. The sound of heavy thunder shook as this scene played out. Alex could do nothing but stare at them and wonder what was happening. Alex looked around...he saw the source of the smell...there was blood on his paws...a trail...was leading up to...a lion...Leon Kingsly. The lion had bloody claw marks on him, the light in his eyes were gone...what was there was one of shock and despair frozen in time. Yes...the lion was dead.

"Alex Lykos...you are under arrest for the murder of Leon Kingly! I can't believe it...a wimp like you had the balls to kill someone..." Jake said as he cuffed Alex's paws. He could see Judy's eyes well up as Nick put a paw on her should comfortingly. Cameras flashed as they took pictures for evidence, Alex couldn't stay awake anymore and passed out.

Soon he woke up in an unfamiliar room...hours later. His arms were handcuffed to a large dresser as he was propped up to sit up straight. A large fat cheetah was sitting in the room with him and he could hear the sounds of heavy rain pouring outside. "Alex...you are awake...thank goodness..." Benjamin said walking up to him.

"Ben...what's going on...what happened?" Alex said as he regained his speech and feeling in his body.

Ben's ears lowered as he had a grim expression. "It's not good...you didn't respond to our calls and we were worried...that's when someone reported the smell of blood coming from one of the rooms. There aren't any ZPD officers here expect for Nick, Judy, Jake, and I...but we had help from the security team of the hotel and found you laying on the ground with blood belonging to the lion...his name was Leon Kingsly and he was the CEO of Savannah Industries. The claw marks on his chest and body... matched yours...I'm sorry to say but...it seems the evidence is mounting that you are guilty of his murder..."

"No...that's impossible...I would never...You have to believe me!" Alex pleaded as he tried to get up, his arms pulled back by the handcuff as he fell back down.

"I believe you Alex but...right now we have no way to prove your innocence...As you can probably here a storm is raging outside a bad one. The ZPD main force can't arrive to fully investigate and we can't take you to the precinct for questioning. I volunteered to look after you in this makeshift holding room." Ben said as he helped Alex back up. "Let me go get you some water..." Ben said as he left the room.

Alex was dumbfounded...everything turned upside down in a moment. There had to be a way out of this mess. Suddenly he heard an ominous sound. The world seemed to shift for a second...this phenomenon happened before...there are times when the Spirit World and the Real World converged and those with the gift can see the supernatural. There he saw the murdered lion...Leon Kingsly. "Why Alex...why did you kill me!? I offered you my paw and you stole my life... Murderer!" It was faint by the wolf could see the gathering of negative energy entering his body...if he didn't do something fast...the lion would turn into a Grudge before his eyes...

"Wait! Are you really sure I murdered you? What if I proved I wasn't the murderer?" Alex pleaded trying to distract the spirit's thoughts.

"Hmph...if you believe you are innocent...then prove it to me...who killed me?" Leon asked.

"I don't know that right now...but I can find out...I don't remember anything that happened except passing out in that room...it felt unnatural...I believe someone set this up and is hiding in the shadows..." Alex said seriously as he stared at the spirit.

Leon sensed he was being sincere but it wasn't enough. "If that is true...I want to know the truth...I won't rest until I know the truth... but I want to see it...you must prove it before morning... or else I swear I will kill you..."

"By the morning...? Ok...if you promise you won't harm me until then...if I can't prove my innocence...I will let you have your revenge..." Alex said hanging his head as he accepted the deal. He had to prove the murder was by someone else before sunrise. The amount of negative energy was gathering at an alarming rate...he would probably become a strong grudge by the morning unable to listen to reason even if the truth was found...this was his only chance to save the lion's soul. The lion nodded as the phenomenon stopped and everything returned to normal.

If Jake was leading the investigation it would not be in his favor...he needed someone else...Judy and Nick were tied up here as well. He couldn't involve Kevin, he wasn't know for his brains...Involving Sarah would probably cause her to relapse into her predator fears. There was one other person...that defense attorney... Thankfully they didn't take away his cellphone and wallet. Taking out the business card he dialed the number.

"Hello...this is Boomer speaking..." the voice on the line said.

"Hello Boomer...it's me Alex...remember from the ferry and pool?" Alex said hesitantly.

"Of course! I can't forget someone like you...what can I do for you?" he asked happily.

"Well you are good at defending people right...?" Alex asked.

"I do my best to find the truth and prove innocence in court! Why?" Boomer said.

"Well...I was well...found on the floor in VIP building of this resort...my paws were covered in blood...they say I murdered him but I don't remember anything..."

"Murder!? Alex what happened? Tell me everything..." Boomer said in shock. He was eating dinner when Alex called and his outburst gave him the stares of confused animals. He stepped out of the dining hall to a more private area.

Alex explained everything from the beginning, how he got the email, entered the room, saw he was injected with something and passed out. He also mentioned what he saw when he woke up. "That's everything I know...but they are going to take me away after the storm lets up...but I have a request for you...Can you please prove me innocent tonight? If I am not proven innocent before sunrise...my life will..."

"Your life? What's going to happen? Alex? Alex!?" The cell phone call was soon dropped. The cellphone service was dead from the raging storm over the island. Alex saw the bars on his phone were gone and he couldn't explain anything else. Quickly putting away his phone he saw Benjamin Clawhauser come back with some water which he happily drank. Alex couldn't calm down...he hoped what he did was enough to set the wheels in motion to prove his innocence...after all he was stuck in this room.

Boomer grabbed an umbrella from the hotel lobby and headed out into the storm. He had to get to the separate building containing the VIP guests of the resort. To find out the mystery behind Alex's words...how could a good guy like him be accused of murder? That was something he had to prove now or never.

As Boomer entered the building he was quickly stopped by some security guards saying this place was off limits. Thankfully the clever beaver had his attorney's badge with him and explained he was Alex's lawyer. "I received word that my client is being held here I request access to the scene so I can help prove his innocence!"

A certain fox happened to walk by as the beaver was pleading with the guards, he was wearing his casual clothes since he didn't want to bring his uniform on his vacation. The fox was in a melancholy mood but he quickly picked up on the situation. If Alex did meet this Beaver earlier this may be another mind that could help out with the case. Right now all things are pointing to the wolf being the murder and Nick wouldn't have that. "Let him through boys...I'll vouch for him." The large rhino security guards let the beaver through.

Nick immediately walked up to him not letting him pass until he got more information from this new face. "Hey there...Nick Wilde...ZPD." he said flashing his badge. "So...you are Alex's attorney...how do you know him?"

"Name's Boomer Tanner...I met Alex on the ferry ride here...he almost threw up on me when he bumped into me...but I got to know him and gave him my business card. I didn't think he would call me a day after we met and tell me he was accused of murder. Is this true?" Boomer asked.

"Unfortunately...I like that Howler but he is in some real big trouble...all of the evidence is pointing to him...here this is an autopsy report a rodent made who is apparently head of this medical company. It isn't fully detailed since this isn't a lab but he says his experience makes it highly accurate." Nick says handing him a document.

"Cause of death...blood loss from assault...claw and bite marks match the suspect Alex Lykos... exact time of death has not been determined but rigor mortis hasn't started to set in yet meaning it wasn't long after the murder occurred." Boomer said as he read it aloud. If he remembered correctly rigor mortis is a temporary condition in which the body stiffens after death...it usually sets in about 2-6 hours after death and it can be used to accurately determine the time of death. "Wow this is intense...may I see the murder scene?"

"I don't see why not Choppers... just don't touch anything..." Nick said leading the way.

"Choppers...? But my name is Boomer..." he blurted out before running after Nick.

Soon they reached the fourth floor, and the room where the murder occurred. The beaver noticed the door was broken down. "I'm guessing the room was locked?" he asked.

Nick said, "Yep...that gun-ho officer over there did it..." he said pointing to the black furred wolf Jake Hunter. He was just walking out ignoring Nick and the beaver as he headed towards Alex's holding room.

"He's...friendly..." Boomer said a bit miffed that he just walked past.

"He's just a bit grumpy that Carrots...I mean the first rabbit officer Judy Hopps is leading the investigation since she has the most experience and seniority. Some guys are so childish...anyway...the storm is making it dangerous for the ZPD to come here and transport Alex to the detention center so we have to make due...our chief put Judy in charge and that grumpy guy threw a temper tantrum." Nick explained.

"I see...so I'm guessing that's the victim..." Boomer said walking up to the body. Nick was behind him and explained who Leon Kingsly was and what happened. It was as the report said, claw marks were all over his body...blood all over his clothes. The wounds themselves didn't look deep but perhaps it was enough cuts to cause blood loss...too bad they couldn't tell the exact time of death yet. Nick also mentioned the spot were they found Alex, collapsed near the window. "This is pretty odd... wonder why Alex was so far away from the victim's body... and why was the room locked?"

"We have an explanation for that...according to our investigation...there was signs of struggle between the victim and Alex...we believe that with the last of his strength he knocked the wolf out. Grumpster's theory is that Alex tried to use his brains to make this a locked room murder but Alex couldn't effectively kill the Lion and a struggle ensured leading to the lion's death and his collapse. It may not be a solid theory but it can be a possible explanation...Personally I think something is off about all this...something is missing... hopefully once we finish questioning Alex we can figure something out..."

"I guess if he is being questioned I can't talk to him...Was there anyone else here that knew the Lion? I wanna know more about the victim..." Boomer asked.

"Well we did find three others who knew the lion and questioned them ourselves. One of them was the head of Mammal Medical, Dr. Vincent Squeak. He made the autopsy report. There is also Shawn Chuckles a sales rep and assistant to a large gaming company CEO and the last one is said CEO Zack Stripes. They said they were all impressed with Alex and they each met him at the conference earlier today. Each offered him a high paying position too since they were so impressed with his skills...shame that this had to happen." Nick said reviewing what he knew.

"Thanks Nick...that was helpful...I should go talk to those guys...do you mind if we all gathered later to discuss this case? I think we might be able to prove Alex's innocence if we had a dialogue later." Boomer asked. He remembered the fear in Alex's voice as he said he needed his solved before the morning...something about his life...he needed to help him out no matter what...that was why he became a lawyer in the first place.

"Huh? Before going into court? That's pretty gutsy of you...but I wanna get this solved too...that poor wolf needs a vacation and I need to help him out...I've known him for a while and I can vouch for his character. He is a kind, honest, and gentle wolf...I can't picture him actually doing these things." Nick said.

"Hehe that's very nice of you! Let's keep doing our best then...I'll come get you when I am ready to present my case." Boomer said as he walked out of the room with Nick. Nick ordered one of the security guards to come back and keep it safe from intrusions.

"I believe Vincent is on the first floor lunch room, Shawn is waiting in the second floor lounge and Zack was in the lobby on the first floor. Good luck..." Nick said waving behind his back as he walked off to help out Judy with the questioning of Alex. She must have her paws full with Jake at this point. Hopefully Ben could help calm that guy down as well.

Boomer headed to the nearest room with one of the witnesses, down a few floors to speak with Shawn, the young hyena. "Hello, Boomer Tanner here...defense attorney for the accused...mind if I ask you a few questions?"

The hyena was sitting down in a lounge chair as he turned and greeted the beaver with a smile. He was dressed in business casual clothes that didn't look too expensive. "Sure...I'm Shawn Chuckles. What do you need to know?" he said putting his phone away.

"What can you tell me about the victim?" he asked right away.

"Ah...Leon? He used to be my former boss you know before I got a new job at Echo Games. I didn't really care much for him but it's sad to see him go... I just wish I walked by that room sooner...maybe he would still be alive." Shawn said gazing into the distance.

"Former boss...I see...and by walking by the room I assume your nose picked up the smell of blood and you called the staff?" Boomer asked.

"Bingo...you are pretty good. This nose of mine is useful for some things...but yeah...it sucks this had to happen." he said seeming indifferent to the death.

"Huh...I see... so you seem kinda nonchalant about the death...was he really that horrible a boss?" The beaver asked.

"Heh...he's known to be a ass sometimes... my new boss is way better than that jerk...The lion thought the world belonged to him and was known to do some shady things to get his way. Not that it matters anymore." Boomer made a mental node as Shawn talked about Leon. It seems Leon wasn't the most innocent soul but who is in the business world...

"I see...well thank you very much for your time." Boomer said feeling he wouldn't get much out of the hyena...though his behavior was definitely suspicious.

Boomer then made his way to the first floor lunch room and saw a tiny mouse eating some food on a plate made for him. This place catered to all sizes after all. "I assume you are Dr. Vincent Squeaks? I'm Boomer Tanner an attorney for the accused. Mind if I ask you some things?"

The mouse was dressed in a lab coat and sighed as he wiped crumbs off his face. "I was in the middle of my late night snack but if you insist..."

"Sorry I'll keep this brief. I heard you performed that autopsy report correct? What can you tell me about the crime scene itself or the victim's body?" Boomer asked straight to the point.

"Well...I've seen things like this a bunch of times...I was an EMT in Little Rodentia during my younger days before joining and then becoming the head of Mammal Medical so you can see I have quite a bit of medical experience." Despite his small appearance the mouse was in his late forties and was speaking as an reminiscing adult. "I've identified so many scratch marks on the body as well as bite marks. Although they weren't deep. There were signs of internal hemorrhaging I've found on my second run through of the body...I need to update that report...the one you have is probably outdated. As for the scene it's as the cops found it, they did a pretty good job of preserving it. The lion was found dead in the middle of the room, the position of the body suggests he was heading towards the door before his body gave out. The wolf was unconscious near the window. He was pretty banged up likely from a struggle and it can be assumed he was trying to escape out the window. That's pretty much everything I know about the scene from my initial visits. It's been a while since I've done field work...sad it had to happen in this peaceful resort. Now if you don't mind I'd like to finish my meal." The mouse said in a very intelligent and thorough tone. Any additional questions Boomer had thought up were immediately answered, it's as if he knew what he was going to ask. The poor beaver couldn't get a word in edgewise. He immediately jotted down the new information he learned.

"That's fine...sorry to bother you...thanks for your time..." Boomer said before leaving.

As he headed for the last person who knew Leon he overheard a conversation. It was coming from the lobby and from the corner he could see the Zebra talking. "Yes...sell those stocks at before the news breaks out...Savannah Industries CEO just kicked the bucket, their company will probably suffer a loss soon." This was suspicious...were businessmen always this cutthroat? Soon the zebra hung up the phone and Boomer snuck out and introduced himself inconspicuously.

"Hello, Boomer Tanner, defense attorney...I'm here to ask about the victim if you have some time." He said politely.

The zebra greeted him with a smile. "Oh sure! I'm Zack Stripes! Ask me anything!" he said leading Boomer to a sofa so they could sit down to talk.

"Tell me what you know about the victim...what was he like?" Boomer asked.

"Oh Leon? We used to go way back...we went to the same business school and we both started companies at the same time. He was always a go-getter, he expanded his company more and more and branched out into many areas...where as I just stuck with one field and provided the best service I could. He was passionate about his company and ideals but he was also vicious when it came to acquiring businesses and expanding. I'm sure he had many enemies...but I didn't think his life would end here...and that wolf is the murderer? They only met this morning too." Zack said in a oddly energetic voice.

"Only met this morning!? That's odd...why would Alex have any motive to kill him?" Boomer asked.

"Who knows...there are some odd rumors that were surrounding Leon...He would do anything to get what he wanted...blackmail...scandals...making people disappear...perhaps he threatened the wolf before he passed and in the heat of the moment... BAM! Honestly I'm surprised such a scrawny wolf took out a big guy like him." Zack said.

"So that the motive...if Leon was as bad as they said why didn't anyone speak up?" Boomer replied.

"Money talks my young beaver...most were bribed...or gotten rid of through underground connections. The underside of Zootopia is a pretty messed up place..." Zack said in a serious tone.

"I...see...um...if you don't mind me asking you don't seem to be that depressed about your friend dying...were you two not close...?" Boomer asked.

"We weren't close...we used to be friends before we graduated but we drifted apart...Don't get me wrong this is a sad affair but we each have our own ways of dealing with grief..." he said sighing a bit.

"I see...thank you very much!" Boomer said goodbye as he left.

He went over all the information in his head...he heard the witness accounts...and there were a few angles he could use to help shed light on Alex's innocence. Yet there was one big piece missing...Alex...he was the center of this case after all. It was time to go visit his room and begin his showdown with the ZPD. Could he even do anything without being in court? Only one way to know for sure... he psyched himself up and knocked on the door to Alex's holding room.

Inside he saw the wolf slumped over in a chair, paws cuffed to a dresser behind him. The wolf looked worse for wear...most likely physically and mentally exhausted from the ordeal. "B...Boomer?" he said meekly as he got and opened his eyes wider trying to get more alert.

The large black wolf stepped in front of Boomer. "So you are the defense attorney? Tch...why would you wanna defend this loser...we have plenty of evidence... he'll be behind bars in no time."

"Jake! Stop it! I know it looks that way but there has to be another answer...we have to keep looking for more clues..." Judy spoke up.

"Yeah we still didn't do any DNA tests or anything...something might show up in forensics." Nick added.

"We searched everywhere...he's obviously guilty." Jake said in a huff.

"Everyone calm down! Let's all talk calmly and maybe we can figure something out." Benjamin Clawhauser said as he put himself between the argument.

"I agree... I have plenty of experience in finding contradictions in logic and evidence. I'm sure with my expertise we get find the real culprit." Boomer said proudly.

"Oh yeah? I'll take you down right now...and prove I'm right!" Jake said defiantly.

"Boomer...thanks for coming to help me...I think I can help out...if we go over what happened together...I think I can help." Alex said with confidence.

"Alright then...let's see what straws you grasp at when I prove beyond a shadow of a doubt you are a cold blooded murderer!" Jake said pointing at Alex.

And so it began...a battle not of swords and guns but of logic and wit. A battle with Alex's life hanging in the balance... It was about midnight...there was about five or six hours left before a powerful grudge would be born and go after Alex's life in his defenseless state. Even if he somehow managed to beat or escape from that horrible monster with his life, his regular one would be in shambles...unable to escape from prison...unable to continue searching for the truth behind Phantom. This was it...Alex had to trust his instincts and help determine the truth.


	27. Battle of Logic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mystery concludes as shocking truths are revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hope you enjoy the second part of the mystery inspired by Ace Attorney and the Danganronpa series. Let me know how it was and I might do more of it!
> 
> A/N 2: The character of Boomer is an OC used with permission from my friend maddog197x
> 
> A/N 3: Extremely huge amount of thanks to KeyToTruth12 for beta reading my story! Go check out his awesome fanfic called "Beyond the Distance" as well!

Boomer was the first one to speak in the intense atmosphere that was slowly growing in the room. “Alex, the mystery seems to revolve around you, but I’ve yet to hear your side of the story in detail. Would you like let us know of the events that led up to you being found next to the victim’s body?” He said in a serious tone.

Alex nodded and recalled his recent memories. “Alright... Well, I visited the beach shortly after the conference ended before heading back to my room to take a nap. While checking my email, I found an invitation by Leon Kingsley to apologize and treat me to dinner. I thought it was just another chance for him to try to get me to join his company but I went along with it for the free meal. It said to meet in that specific lounge on the 4th floor. I opened the door to the room, but it was all dark; then I heard the door closed behind me and felt a sharp pain in my arm. I looked down and saw a dart in my right arm. My first thought was that I had been injected with something, but then I felt this odd... Savage sensation overtook me; I can’t describe it. I passed out soon after. And then I woke up, and... That’s all I remember.”

Jake barked. “Hmph! A likely story! We didn’t even find this stupid dart in the room!”

“I doubt the culprit would leave crucial evidence laying around like that…” Judy remarked.

“Anyways... First up, you mentioned an email, didn't you Alex? May I see it?” Boomer asked.

“Of course. I already forwarded it to the ZPD, it should be contained inside the laptop over there.” Alex said, pointing to the laptop next to Clawhauser. The large cheetah was more than happy to show the beaver the evidence. Boomer then noted the timestamp of the email; 4:30 PM. And the details read to meet the sender at the lounge at 5:00 PM. That’s a rather short time frame; perhaps they banked on the fact that Alex checked his emails frequently. The beaver, believing his client’s innocence, attempted to see if there was anything else peculiar about the email. But he couldn't find anything else, sadly.

“Darn... If we could’ve found that dart, this case wouldn’t be so bleak.” Nick said a bit angrily.

“Hmm... Perhaps it was placed somewhere unusual...? Or a place that no one would want to go. Usually, criminals can’t get rid of such crucial evidence so fast.” Boomer said.

“Oh yeah? So where would they put it? Assuming it ever existed…” Jake asked, not expecting an answer.

“Hmm…” Alex said to himself. “It’s raining a lot outside right? Maybe they might've just chucked it out of the window?”

“That’s what I was thinking too, Alex. It’s raining so heavily right now. They probably figured no one would check outside during the storm. The killer might've believed that they could probably sneak outside and get it later when the police were gone from the premises. Or another theory is that they could be carrying the dart with them. Either way, we need to find that dart.” Boomer said passionately. 

“Let me go check outside. It’s true we haven’t conducted a search on that area yet. There could be something interesting outside too!” Judy said excitedly and ran out of the room.

Jake snarled. “Tch, what a waste of time... But if the little fluff wants to get dirty she can be my guest.”

“Though, how Alex described the dart worries me... Those symptoms, going savage... Other than the knockout part, it coincides with the case Judy and I solved last year. The case of predators going savage caused by the Night Howler plant. It would make the most sense... The method of attack would coincide with that of a savage wolf. If that’s the case, then Alex wasn’t in his right mind! Someone used him to murder!” Nick exclaimed.

“That’s a big assumption there. You do know that the city banned that substance, right? It would be extremely hard to obtain one. Besides, Omega here is perfectly fine now. If he were still savage, then he would be trying to bite us right now.” Jake said, effectively bringing up a good point.

“Perhaps the culprit also had an antidote with them? That would explain that discrepancy! And all the guests in this VIP building are particularly influential. Any of them could just obtain the Night Howler serum by illegal means! We just only need the evidence. I hope Judy found something...” Boomer said, thinking from the culprit’s perspective. It was a useful technique. It was often referred to as turning the chessboard around. 

“Everyone! I found something!” Judy exclaimed as she barged into the room, soaking wet and covered in mud. She panted to catch her breath and opened her paw. It was a small dart covered in mud.

“Way to go, Carrots!” Nick chirped, which then he carefully took the dart and placed it in an evidence bag for later analysis.

“No way... I can’t believe you found something like that! Grr, but it still doesn’t prove your innocence! Got it, runt!?” Jake said, fuming over the rabbit's discovery. Alex only gave him a sly grin which merely intensified his anger.

“The dart, the email, the events that happened… I am even more confident in our analysis of the case so far! Alex is innocent, and he was set up to commit and be framed for the murder!” Boomer shouted and pointed at Jake. It struck Jake hard; he had no comeback.

Nick then caught Judy up on what she missed while she was gone and it was time to discuss what to do next.

“Though, how did the dart even get fired? Or rather, where?” Nick asked.

“Remember how the room was before we started investigating? There was a slight gap in the window big enough for a dart to fit through. If it were fired from the window, then it would explain our previous claims.” Judy said happily. She took a moment ahead to dry herself for a bit before rejoining the conversation.

“I don’t really remember much about the window... Just that the curtains were covering them and that it was enough to block out most of the light and make the room dark. The sun was facing the opposite direction at the time so anyone could’ve hidden in those shadows, In theory, at least.” Alex said calmly.

“Heh, a likely story, but I just got a message that the analysis of the victim’s phone is done. There wasn’t any security on it, so it was easy to get into. I asked those tech nerds for some help so we could speed things up with this. I’ll bring them in.” Jake said as he brought Zack and Shawn into the room. They were big shots in Echo games, and their knowledge of computers matched Alex’s. Well, at least Shawn’s did. The zebra, Zack Stripes, was more on the business side.

“Thanks for having us in... My associate found something interesting on Leon’s phone. Do the honors, Shawn.” Zack said happily.

He nodded. “Right... I found this email addressed to Leon, sent at 4:30 PM. It told the recipient to meet the sender in the fourth-floor lounge. The details of the email were interesting, to say the least. It stated that a certain someone was interested in an earlier offer and wanted to talk more in the lounge in about an hour. Leon replied to this email at 4:50 PM and the one who wrote it was…. Alex Lykos. His email signature is here and everything.” Shawn said as he was met with a handful of gasps from the room.

“That... That can’t be true! While it is true that I have his email address, I had never contacted him!” Alex shouted.

“Hah! Watching you squirm is hilarious. This blows the previous theory out of the water. The dart thing we found? It could've been planted by Alex to throw us off! He did predict that it would be outside after all. You had us all fooled, Alex, but this email you sent the victim will be your downfall!” Jake shouted and pointed at Alex who was taken aback in shock.

“Hold it!” Boomer exclaimed. “I request to see this email! Perhaps this was evidence by the culprit to throw us off as well.”

Shawn handed the phone he was using to read the email over to the beaver. “Don’t bother deleting it. I've made copies.”

Boomer then examined the email from head to toe. Though no matter how many times he looked at it, it seemed to be written by Alex. It had his business signature and logo as well. Although he wasn’t the best at technology, maybe his client would know this better. This was his field after all. “Alex, can you take a look at this? I want your expert opinion.”

“I’m not letting that Omega tamper with the phone!” Jake growled.

“Cool it, hot shot. I’ll watch them.” Nick said calmly.

Boomer then brought the phone to Alex and he examined the email. It did look like an email from his company. Though, something was off about it. The wolf thought calmly for a while and wondered if there was something he missed... A minute detail. Was his email account compromised? That wouldn’t be the case, he was monitoring his emails during the time it was sent. The gears kept turning in his brain as he examined the email once more, and there he saw it…

“This email... Isn’t from me! I can prove it easily. This email was spoofed. For those of you who don’t know, email spoofing is where you forge the email of someone by copying a header or signature that looks like it was sent by another person. Look at the email it was sent from. It’s small, but there is an underscore between my first and last name compared to my regular email. Therefore, this email was sent from a fake account!” Alex exclaimed.

“What!? That’s impossible! You are just trying to confuse me with your babble!” Jake shouted.

“What he is saying is legit... I didn’t even notice the underscore in the email account. But checking your business card you gave me earlier... it is verifiable. “ Shawn said, admitting he was incorrect.

“Way to go Alex!” Boomer said happily. “Looks like the evidence is piling up. It’s become even more evident Alex is being set up!” Jake was seething with anger. He hated being wrong, yet it begs the question: who was the real culprit? For now, while Alex had the lion’s phone, he did a quick check of the sent items.

“Hmm..." His pupils moved up and down in a rhythmic motion before realizing something. "Hey, look at this! In Leon’s sent folder, there is the email I got just now. This may just be a hunch, but Leon’s email account was definitely hacked. Shawn, you mentioned Leon’s phone had no lock on it right? It seems Leon wasn’t much for security if he didn’t have a password for his phone. He most likely had a common password for his email account as well; one that could easily be assaulted with a dictionary attack or the like. Oh yes, a dictionary attack is something a hacker can do to run through a dictionary of common words and repeatedly try that password to crack it.” Alex explained.

“I see... That makes perfect sense! You sure know your cyber security, Alex!” Judy said happily.

“But... We still don’t have a culprit in mind. Who would want to kill Leon so badly?” Nick asked the participants inside the room.

A somewhat brief silence ensued before Jake spoke up. “I... Didn’t want to have to use this information, but you leave me no choice." All of them turned to the bigger wolf, eyes directly on him. "I've talked with your cheetah friend before, about when you assaulted me at the beach. You are quite the temperamental wolf. It seems you attacked him earlier as well, and apparently you weren’t 'yourself.' Perhaps the 'you' right here didn’t do it, but another 'you' did! Spill it, Alex! Your friend told me all about your alternate personality! So what if the email account was spoofy or whatever... Maybe that other personality had no idea what your password was! Your other personality is a vicious killer!” Jake asserted which caused Alex to be taken aback.

“A-Alex!? Is this certain?” Boomer asked.

“Y-yes... But it was only recent. I don’t really know why he comes out, but I don’t feel like myself when it does. I have no control over my body either.” He said defeatedly.

“Hold on, you said it only happened recently, correct? I wonder if that is true…” A certain Fox said deep in thought.

“N-Nick? What do you mean?” Alex asked, a bit confused.

“You said a while ago that you don’t remember your childhood much, right?”

“Yes, that’s true. The only thing I remember is my father giving me this pendant, and then I find myself being taken care of by my aunt and uncle.” Alex said in a sorrowful tone.

“Where are you going with this, Mr. Wilde?” Boomer said in a serious tone, his gaze focused on the fox.

“Nick, you don’t mean... Are you suggesting...” Judy said, having a feeling of what Nick was going to bring up.

He only nodded at her before continuing. “A while ago, Judy and I looked into your public records. All we have is your birth certificate. Your medical records, elementary school, home address, everything is gone. We only have information starting from when you were about 9 years old. Perhaps, the 'you' here isn’t the real you... Maybe something had happened during those 9 years. Are you sure about who you even are? What if that other guy is your true self?” Nick said with a hint of worry in his tone.

Alex was at a loss for words. If it was true that his records as a child were gone? What did it mean for him? What the hell happened to him? Was Nick correct? For that matter, he felt betrayal; Nick and Judy dug up info about him like they never trusted him to begin with. Of course they wouldn’t... He dragged them into that messed up world. “So... You don’t believe me then, Nick? I understand; I would doubt me as well. I know I’m not perfect, I’m pretty fucked up... But I would never kill anyone. Besides, there is a flaw in your logic, Jake. I remember everything my alternate personality did. Why did you think I felt remorseful of my actions? So even if the other me were in control, I would remember. I wouldn’t try to cover up for his actions. The guilt would be too much to bear.” Alex said, tearing up a bit.

“Nick…” Judy said, lowering her ears.

“S-sorry Alex... But I wanted to make sure you were safe to be around. I thought it would give us some clues regarding that moment when we first met.” Nick apologized. Alex didn't want to hear it and looked away from the Fox with a pained expression.

“L-let’s get back on topic. I feel like we have everything we need to solve this case, but something is wrong with our assumptions so far. We never accounted for the locked room. Why was it locked? We can assume it was to prevent anyone from entering and solidify Alex’s guilt, but maybe it was something only the true culprit could do.” Boomer said.

Alex then thought about it, he needed to go over the case from the beginning. Who among them had access to the Night Howler serum? Perhaps everyone could with their business connections, but who was the most likely? For that matter, which among the animals he knew would have the easier means of not only firing a dart from the outside but setting up the place as a locked room murder as well. They would also have to be someone intelligent and to have a history with the victim. There was only one animal who fit that description.

“Hey…. Let’s call Vincent Squeaks in here. I want to ask him something...” Alex spoke up.

“The mouse? What would he know that we don’t?” Jake asked.

“I want to talk to him too... Something is bugging me about the victim’s death. He did the autopsy report correct? It’s only natural to ask him more about it.” Boomer said.

Benjamin took the call and then went to go get Vincent. Returning back, the mouse was put on a stool so everyone can see him. “So what do I owe the pleasure for having my sleep disturbed?” He whined.

“This won’t take long. We just want to ask you about the autopsy report. And Alex here has something to ask you as well.” Boomer said calmly. “It says here that the victim bled to death, and you mentioned that there was also internal bleeding as well. Yet when I saw the body, the cuts and bite marks weren’t even deep. The body was discovered at 6:00 PM, and we have evidence that he arrived at 5:30 pm. That’s not a lot of time for wounds of that depth to kill someone.”

“Hmph, as suspected from a medical neophyte... I've mentioned he had internal bleeding, didn't I? His lungs might have been filled up with blood and caused him to choke and die. I couldn't perform a good report here as I didn't have my full equipment, but you see those red marks on his body right? Those are signs of internal hemorrhaging.” Vincent said in a mocking tone.

Boomer didn’t have much of a response. Alex then took a moment to comprehend before asking his question. “So, Dr. Vincent Squeak. Mammal Medical; they were the ones who created the Night Howler antidote, correct? And you're the head of it right?”

“That’s correct! We helped saved Zootopia once we got our hands on that nasty stuff!” He said proudly.

“Yep, I read about it awhile ago, but I wanted to confirm... It would be easy for you to get your hands on it if your company had it, so to speak. Therefore, Dr. Squeak... I think... You were the one who killed Leon Kingsley!” Alex shouted. Everyone was in shock and awe at this accusation except Boomer who has arrived at a similar conclusion. It could be nobody else but him.

“What is this nonsense!? I’m just a tiny mouse! I can’t kill a big guy like him! He could crush me into next week! Besides, the body had marks that belonged to you, Wolfy! It had to be you! Stop trying to pin the blame on others!” Vincent said, getting overly defensive.

“But it makes sense! It would be the easiest for you to commit the crime. You have access to all those chemicals, and you are smart enough to pull this off. You injected Alex with the Night Howler serum and used him to commit the murder, did you not!?” Boomer snapped.

“Guys, you won’t believe this…” Benjamin interrupted. “But this dart we found has Leon’s prints over it! But that doesn't’ make any sense!”

“No, it does. So there was more than one chemical substance in there, and the claw and bite marks weren’t deep, right? The only conclusion would be that I held back and that he was killed by the dart we have in our possession. Thanks, Benjamin. With this, we can see what actually happened!” Alex exclaimed.

“Oh yeah? Why don’t you tell me what happened? How could I possibly do it!?” Vincent said in an exasperated tone.

“Here is everything that happened in this case!” Alex proclaimed passionately. He was really getting into it. He was so close to proving his innocence. His time was almost up as well. He had to finish this! 

“First, I got an email from Leon saying that he wanted to meet up in the fourth-floor lounge. As I headed there, a second email was sent. This time it was sent to the victim, Leon Kingsley. However the security-lax lion was unaware that the message he received was fake. A spoof was used to lure him under false pretenses. Once I arrived in the room, I was suddenly injected with the Night Howler serum combined with a knockout serum. It was timed so perfectly that I was set to wake up by the time Leon would arrive at 5:30 pm. It was after Leon entered the room when I started attacking him under the influence of the drug. I had no memories of the assault, but based on the injuries and bruises on my body, it seemed like Leon fought back. The marks weren’t deep because part of me must've fought back or perhaps Leon was good at fighting. Regardless, his injuries weren’t life-threatening. That’s when a second dart was fired into Leon by the culprit who was watching from outside the window. Although, that particular serum wasn’t the Night Howler; but most likely a poisonous chemical used to cause severe damage to the body. The only reason his prints were on it would be Leon taking the dart off himself immediately and throwing it away. It landed beyond the culprit’s reach in the mud outside. Then he used his small body to squeeze back the way he came from in the first place. He even had enough time to lock the door and slip under the crack in the door. Thanks to being a mouse, he was able to compress himself and slip through, creating a seemingly locked room murder... So it could only be you! Dr. Vincent Squeak, you are the murderer!” The wolf finished recapping and pointed heroically at the helpless mouse.

“N-n-no way… T-that’s quite the amazing story you came up with, but you have nothing to pin it on me!” He said, claiming he didn’t have anything to do with the case.

“Judy...can you check the body of Leon? I think it would have a hole in his neck where the dart landed.” Boomer whispered to her. Judy did so and returned moments later confirming it was true.

“Sorry, Doctor… It seems we found the dart's marking on Leon’s body. That means your entire autopsy report was a lie. Someone as skilled as you would never make such a mistake. You told me before; even without a lab, even a veteran such as yourself could see such a simple thing.” Boomer had Vincent on the ropes.

“Not to mention that I’m confident you used your laptop or computer to create the fake email account. If we take your computer into forensics, then I'm sure we can trace the creation of your fake email account and the evidence of you sending it out!” Alex added. “Now, confess already!”

He smiled defeatedly and gritted his teeth, rolling his palms into a fist. “Heh, It seems like the gig is up…” Vincent said as he lowered his head. There was nothing more he could do. They had a lot of evidence against him. The evidence he fabricated to pin it on Alex.

“Earlier today, Leon threatened me. He dug up some dirt on Mammal Medical. He knew about my side operation of creating an advanced weaponized version of the Night Howler serum to sell it to the highest bidder. I was going to make a fortune! This new serum would last for short bursts and would remove all traces from the body. He cornered me and he knew too much. I had to take him out. It was all going perfect but you... Alex, how dare you... How dare you fight back against my baby, my special serum! I saw it with my own eyes. You did indeed hold back, I've never seen anyone so resistant to Night Howler before. The dose I gave you was supposed to last until the body was discovered, but your body broke free. You would make the most fascinating test subject... No one in recorded history is immune to going savage by the flower. If we gave you the dose Bellwether used last year, it probably wouldn’t even flinch you. Mine was 10 times stronger after all.” The doctor said as he was taken by Jake and placed him in a makeshift jail.

“You... Are under arrest…” Jake said in a defeated tone.

“Immune to that serum... Alex, what are the odds?” Judy asked, relief was plastered all over her face.

Boomer then took a deep breath. “Well then..." He glanced at the mouse briefly before turning back to the others." Wow, just... Wow. That was one wild ride. But I’m glad we got through it though, Alex!” Boomer said happily as he came over to him and shook his paw.

“Thanks, everyone… I couldn’t have done it without you all.” Alex said with a hint of sadness in his tone. He should have been happier but something was bothering him; it was Nick’s earlier remark about digging into his past. Maybe he did have a point. Maybe the ‘Alpha’ was the real him. What if his life was meant to be different from the beginning? He also found out that someone doesn’t want anyone knowing about his past. He tries to recall something about it, but an intense pain overtook his mind, causing him collapsing to one knee.

“No, I don’t want to remember...! Make the p-p-pain stop!” Alex shouted, making the rest of the room look at him with worry. Alex soon noticed this and quickly recovered. “S-sorry, I just need some fresh air. I'll be outside...” Alex said as he rushed out of the room to exit the building. The rain was finally letting up as the sun started to rise in the eastern sky.

“Wait, Howler! I want to talk…!” Nick said while he chased after him. The Fox was feeling a bit guilty for hurting his feelings after all. The wolf heard the fox running which caused him to run away faster. Alex was not in the mood to talk; he wanted to be alone. The wolf soon entered the tropical jungle of the island, away from the resort. However, he didn’t notice the ground was fragile and slippery. When he inevitably stepped on it, he fell haplessly onto it. Alex coughed up a bit, wiping the mud off of him as Nick caught up with him.

“Howl- I mean Alex... I just want to talk. I want to apologize.” Nick said sincerely walking over to him.

“Nick... I can’t remember any my past, and it brings me physical pain when I try to. What the fuck happened to me back then? I don’t understand!” Alex said as he began to tear up.

A shot rang out before he could answer. His sensitive ears immediately picked it up, and he tackled Alex, taking the shot on his back and throwing themselves both to the ground. Nick pulled the object that hit him out of his back; it was another dart and Nick was losing consciousness fast. Another shot rang out and Alex was struck by the same dart. They both soon collapsed in the mud. A then dingo suddenly appeared from the treetops, jumping down and landing next to them. “Mission completed, the targets have been neutralized. Someone should be freeing you soon, doctor. A shame it didn't go as planned.” He mused.

The familiar looking dingo soon heard the response on the other end of his communication device. “On the contrary, it went exactly as I hoped. The subject is in intense emotional and psychological disarray as of right currently... He is ready. Bring them to my lab.”

“Yes, sir... Dr. Muroidea” Luke replied.


	28. The Experiment Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Judy gathers up a team to find the missing fox and wolf, Alex and Nick awake to find the true culprit behind the recent events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hope you guys enjoy! Reviews/comments are most welcome!
> 
> A/N 2: Thanks to KeyToTruth12 for beta reading! You rock! Go check out his awesome fanfic called "Beyond the Distance" on fanfiction.net as well!

Chapter 28: The Experiment Part 1

A/N: Hope you guys enjoy! Reviews are most welcome!

A/N 2: Thanks to KeyToTruth12 for beta reading! You rock! Go check out his awesome fanfic called "Beyond the Distance" as well!

“What do you mean they haven’t come back yet!?” Said an angry young cheetah.

“I’m worried...” Said a concerned doe.

“I tried searching for them on my own but to no luck... Ben is helping out, and Jake has his hands full with Vincent.” The defeated bunny said, sighing. It was the next morning, and Alex and Nick had been gone for about 6 hours. Things were starting to get worrying for Judy, who decided to inform Kevin and Sarah about the situation. She was exhausted after the investigation and left it to Nick to go after Alex, but now things had gotten serious. “To tell you the truth, I wouldn’t put it past Phantom being the reason that they disappeared, they did come after Nick and me after all…”

“Phantom, huh? Those guys are the worst! What are they even plotting?” Kevin said, the cheetah smacking his paws together in anger. He was wearing a sleeveless white tank top and black shorts which were perfect for the hot tropical weather.

“Those guys are scary, and you said they want to break the boundaries between worlds? This is just awful!” Sarah expressed in a shy voice. The doe was wearing a pink summer skirt and a green floral t-shirt.

“We need to find those guys... I have a feeling they haven’t gotten far. There haven't been any ferries leaving the island yet so they might've been taken in the jungle somewhere. Or worse... The Spirit world." Judy concluded using her critical thinking skills. She was wearing a rose-colored button down blouse and shorts.

“Well, if anyone could find them, it’s you! Especially finding Nick! You two are quite the pair!” Sarah said as she chuckled.

“T-thanks, but let’s just focus on the task at hand Sarah. Sorry to cut your vacation short, but let’s investigate the jungle. We have to save them!” Judy said, changing the subject promptly, a bit embarrassed. She had to make sure they were okay. Especially Nick, her partner in the ZPD.

After leaving the hotel lobby where they had their mini-strategy meeting, they headed past the hotel grounds and into the jungle. There was a pathway used for hikers who wanted to explore the tropical beauty, and it was a good a place as any to start. Along the path, Judy noticed something odd. There were some tracks off the beaten path that had already dried, hardened as the sun shriveled the mud. She’d easily be able to identify who they belong to since one of them was someone she worked with for a while. “Look at this..." Judy said, beckoning them to come closer. "These tracks definitely belong to Nick... The other is most likely to be Alex’s. And albeit larger than Nick’s, it's still canid in appearance. Follow me!” Judy said as she continued pursuing them into the lush jungle with Sarah and Kevin quickly following her from behind.

Soon the tracks stopped in a place where it looked like a body fell in the mud. There was another set of prints she didn’t recognize as well. “Judging from the markings in the dried mud, it looks like they fell and now they've disappeared. Someone else was also here, and it seems like they were kidnapped or were taken away somewhere. Knowing Phantom, they wouldn’t kill them. But we need to hurry! There has to be a gate somewhere on the island, let’s go find one!” Judy exclaimed, taking charge of the situation.

“Yes, ma’am!” Kevin said, saluting her and puffing out his chest before heading off to go look for a gate into the Spirit World.

Sarah wanted to stop and admire the fauna; she loved plants of all kinds, but this was more important. “I-I’ll do my best!” She said and headed off in a different direction. Judy nodded and did the same.

A few minutes later, they heard a shout coming from Kevin. “I’ve found one!” The cheetah was loud enough for the girls to hear and soon they came running to the cheetah. They all gathered and found a gate near a small pond. Kevin was worried quite a bit about Alex and Nick. “Let’s hurry up and go rescue them!”

“Wait, you two! This is going to be extremely dangerous. I can’t let you endanger your own lives! Who knows what traps they have set up! I won't blame you guys if you want to head back. I can handle the rescue alone.” Judy said in a serious tone.

“But Judy, they're my friends too! You don’t know anyone else who can fight in that world so I wanna do everything I can! I can’t be scared of danger if I am going to be an officer right?” Kevin grinned and flexed a bit, trying to show that he was ready but it only made her smile and chuckle instead.

“Alex helped me overcome my fear of wolves... I still think I would be scared of them to this day. But I want to repay his kindness somehow. I may not be good at fighting, but I’ll support you two as best I can!” Sarah said confidently; it was a rare tone for her to take.

Judy nodded and looked at them. “Okay, I won’t stop you then. Just follow my lead, and if I tell you to run, just belt it! Understood?” They both nodded in unison. Judy turns around and jumps into the gate, the cheetah and doe following after.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Meanwhile, in an unknown location, Alex was slowly waking up from the sedative that was given to him. The room was completely white and cold. His eyes were blurry as he slowly rubbed them and waited for his vision to focus. “Where... Where am I?” He said as he got up. The first thing he noticed was that his clothes were gone. He was just wearing his white undershirt and boxers; his collar was removed as well. 

“Hey there sleeping howler! Good of you to wake up!” Said a familiar smug voice. Nick was sitting on a bed on the other side of the white room. He was also in his boxers and a white sleeveless tank top.

“N-Nick!?” Alex immediately tried to cover up his indecency, despite them both being males. It was just a natural instinct through years of torture in school locker rooms.

“Yep, in the flesh. I tried waking you up earlier, but they really put you under.” Nick said, smirking a bit at his cute display of embarrassment.

“S-so... Where are we?” Alex asked.

“Dunno, whoever brought us here took off our mud-soaked clothes and put us in here. Our stuff is gone too, so I don’t know what day or time it is. This room has no windows or anything. The one thing I do know is…” He stopped mid-sentence and calls forth his bow. “This is the Spirit World.”

Alex gasped in shock. “The Spirit World!?”

“If I had to guess, it was those bastards that captured us. I know electricity doesn’t work here, but they sure have some technology to build this place with working lights and electronic doors. I tried breaking it earlier, but my attacks were useless. We need to conserve our energy.” Nick explained.

“Good idea. We need to assess our situation first.” Alex grumbled. He couldn’t believe they got captured and were at the enemy’s mercy.

“So... What’s with your neck? First time I saw it without your choker. Wanna talk about it?” Nick asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

“Heh, it’s embarrassing, had it ever since I was a kid. Don’t remember how I got it but the doctors say my fur won’t grow there anymore. I try to hide it as best I can, and no one seems to notice.” Alex said having given up on hiding it from Nick.

“That sucks. I guess that’s also something why you can’t remember your past.” Nick said before his ears lowered as he frowned a bit. “Listen, Alex, I’m sorry I doubted you earlier. It’s true that I looked up your past and found that gap in your records. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t anyone dangerous. But Phantom seems to have a keen interest in you, so I wanted to see if there would be any clues. I guess I need to learn to be more trusting since I’m a cop now.”

Alex shook his head. “I forgive you, Nick, I’m sorry for running away. I'm scared of my past, it hurts when I try to remember. Like, there is a huge lock that doesn’t want me to know. If I hadn’t run away, we would both still be safe in the hotel. I’m such a screw-up...”

“Stop thinking like that! Have more confidence in yourself!” Nick shouted angrily. “None of this is your fault. It’s Phantom! They need to be stopped!”

“R-right, but we've been captured, and I don’t think there is a way out.” Alex grumbled as he only saw the door as a way out.

“Maybe we could combine our powers together and break it down?” Nick suggested.

“Might as well try...” Alex said as he got up from his bed. He concentrated and tried to call his weapon. As he did, his mind wondered back to what just happened. The murder charges, his inability to be affected by Night Howlers, the gap in his public records... There were so many unknowns about him. Then there was ‘Alpha’, the beast that laid within him. He could still feel it trying to break free from the mental cage he placed around. His sword warped in for a second in his paws, but Alex’s mental state wasn’t clear, he certainly doubted something inside his mind; forcefully making his sword unstable as it started to fade out.

“Sorry Nick.... I don’t feel so good. My head…” Alex then suddenly collapsed to the ground on one knee. “I can’t call my weapon... Heh, I’m useless, aren’t I?”

“Alex… No... No, you're not.” Nick said as he tried to come near Alex, but the door nearby opened abruptly, interrupting him.

“I see the subject is awake.” A familiar voice rang out.

“Dr. Vincent!? But that can’t be right!?” Nick exclaimed as he saw the mouse enter the room.

“Explain yourself, pipsqueak!” Nick said as he readied his bow. The mouse only smiled at his attempt.

The wolf gasped as soon as he looked at the mouse. “Wait, Nick! This guy... His spiritual power is off the charts! I can sense it!” Alex said, staring at the mouse. “Who are you? Explain everything!” He demanded.

“I guess I have time to teach idiots today. This will be a glorious day for Spiritual Science after all. Now, where to begin…” The mouse paced around the room. “Alex, my dear test subject, I am Dr. Muroidea. Everything that has happened to you, going to the island conference was all so I can lead you to my research laboratory. You just ‘happened’ to be selected to speak at the conference. Let’s just say your boss was paid a large sum of money by an anonymous third party to elect you into that position. Also for fun, let’s also say they gave you tickets to invite your friends, knowing you who would obviously pick the others you've been comrades within the Spirit World.”

“You bastard... You've set us up from the beginning!?” Nick snarled and bared his fangs.

“It was child’s play to do so. I am a genius after all!” The nefarious mouse smiled as he continued. “Did you really think you were so special Alex? That you would get offered three high paying positions out of nowhere? Let’s say those fools had lots of dirt on them and we promised to make it ‘go away’ for whoever got you into joining their company, with a large cash sum of course. I guess I also helped manipulate my idiot brother Into committing the murder and gave him the tools to do so in exchange for making me the heir to his company. Now that he is going to jail, I guess I own Mammal Medical now.”

“You scum... How could you do all this? What was it all for!?” Nick shouted.

“All for Alex... Like I said, you need to pay attention you dimwitted kit!” The doctor said, chuckling.

“So everything was all I lie. I was so happy how things went at the conference too, happy when my work was finally recognized. I guess it was all an illusion. I was never anything more than what I am now.” Alex cooed as his tears started flowing.

“Hehehe... That’s the reaction I was hoping for. It warms my heart to see the face of a broken man who realizes everything was a lie. Now you're ready for the experiment! Luke, take him to the chamber.” The doctor called out.

“Yes doctor!” Luke said in a militaristic manner and entered the room wearing his trademark open vest and jeans. He titled his Australian outback hat and smiled at Nick before grabbing and dragging the defeated wolf. Alex didn’t feel like putting up a fight, he just couldn’t after all.

Nick tried to draw his bow and fired an arrow, but he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his knee. He looked down and saw a needle in his leg, rendering his whole body disabled as he couldn't move a muscle. The fox’s keen eyesight noticed that the doctor was now holding needles in his paws. Despite being immobilized, he could still speak. “So, that’s your spirit weapon I take it?” He grunted.

“I guess you do have some promise kit. That wolf pup was right on the nose about my spiritual abilities. I am one of the four top members of Phantom. Head of research and development. I wouldn’t have made it this far with brain power alone. I am also quite skilled at fighting. It would do you well to remember that. Now play nice in here while I'll go have my fun with Alex…”

“Rat! You won’t get away with this!” Nick shouted as the door started closing behind. The Fox did his best to crawl on the floor using his chin, but his body was too numb. The mouse turned away and smirked before he hopped onto Luke’s paw and escorted the doctor.

It was a slow door to close, and before it could close all the way, Nick summoned his willpower in his arms and shoved the top of his bow into the door to prevent it from closing all the way. He just had to wait for the feeling in his body to come back but would it be too late. The Fox then prayed for Alex, hoping he could hang on a bit longer.

Alex was dragged against his will and entered a large white chamber. It was filled with all sorts of devices he had never seen before. Luke threw him on a lab table and strapped his body. The dingo soon left the room as he wasn’t a part of the lab crew. Other scientists were in the chamber, led by the mouse doctor who grinned and walked to his control panel.

“So tell me, pup. You do have a nasty personality inside you, right? One that isn’t yours?” Dr. Muroidea asked.

“Yes... How do you know all this?” Alex asked.

“Let’s just say we have our ways. You don’t know the full extent of the power of spirits like I do. You see, I possess a forbidden knowledge. When I was awakened to this world, I came to know all sorts of wonderful things. It’s responsible for all you see before you! Now, back to the topic at hand. What do we say we take that personality of yours... Out of you?” The mouse grinned.

Alex gasped. “Take my personality... Out!?”

“Yes... We will take it out and make it real. This will be our first time doing this so perhaps it might take a few tries, but it will be fun to see the results. Don’t worry, I’m under direct orders not to kill you... But pain is still very much granted.”

“No... No… I don’t want to be here! Let me out! LET ME OUT! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!” Alex let out a bloodcurdling scream after hearing that he was going to be tortured at the mouse’s whim. 

Will Nick be able to save Alex? Will Judy, Sarah, and Kevin find the laboratory in time to save them? It would be a race against time, and Phantom is already a second ahead.


	29. The Experiment Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuing from the previous cliffhanger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the wait! This current arc is almost over. Hope you guys enjoy the truths and revelations revealed in this chapter!
> 
> A/N 2: Thanks again to KeyToTruth12 for beta reading! Go check out his awesome fanfic called "Beyond the Distance" as well!

"Wow, we've been at this for a while... I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary either." Said a disgruntled cheetah. Kevin was looking around the spirit realm's version of the tropical jungle they were in. Everything seemed to be frozen in time with no insects flying about or the smell of the tropical fauna. The sky was a dull purple, and there were tiny wisps; weak spirits floating about, their blue light adding a sort of an odd mystery to the scene before him.

"I think we already passed this plant... Or was it that one... Everything is starting to look the same." Sarah said as she tried searching for a landmark that was unique and visible.

"I wish we could feel where they are. I remember that you and Nick were in trouble when we felt something off... It was just Sarah, Alex, and myself there at the time, but it felt like an extreme danger... Sorry if that doesn't make sense." Kevin said to Judy. He wasn't very eloquent in his speech skills, but Judy understood what he meant.

"I think I know what you said. But when those kinds of sensations occur, it's always when Alex is nearby. Perhaps he is an integral part of that ability?" Judy said, tossing out ideas.

"I have to agree, plus the enemy captured him and were going after him all the time. Even so far as to put you and Nick in danger." Sarah said, adding her observations.

"Geez... This is getting more and more complicated every day. Just what are they even plotting to do with Alex?" Kevin said with a worried expression.

"Initiating the soul extraction!" The evil rat scientist cackled as he pushes a button on his console. A large contraption resembling a ray run with various tubes connected to it fired at the helpless wolf strapped onto the table. Alex's eyes rolled back as an incredible pain coursed throughout his body. Unimaginable agony was felt as he screamed from the top of his lungs. He wanted someone; anyone to stop this pain. His soul was starting to drain from his body, he felt weaker as he caught a glimpse of the blue light; his soul leaving his body and gathering above him.

"Now where are you… Come out come out… Ah, there you are!" The Mad Doctor cackled as he saw a foreign red light exiting Alex's body. "Seems our intel was correct as always. Looks like you had an errant soul possessing your body… By your beloved primal spirit no less."

Alex barely made out the words of Dr. Muroidea but if what he heard was true that means, then this all was a set up by the primal spirit Fenrir. The wolf trusted that spirit, and a betrayal worse than any physical pain he felt overwhelmed his heart. His disarrayed mind and body allowed more of his soul to escape as the spirit began to take a familiar form. It had his fur, a thick brown coat with a lighter brown over his muzzle and underbelly. The wolf spirit had a thick and powerful chest, large arms that pinned Alex down further on the table as it grinned maliciously. Large fangs dripping drool on his former 'prison cell'.

"Welcome to your freedom, wolf spirit... Welcome to Phantom!" The rat scientist cackled as he threw a large red crystal into the spirit. "This crystal is filled with malevolent energy and a little something extra to make sure you stay obedient to us, but do not worry. You will get your wish to run wild. I shall dub you... Alpha." The crystal entered Alpha's body as it was encased in a dark red energy. Dark flames appeared along his back and formed a ring around his wrists and ankles. However, he didn't turn into a grudge, he still had his full sense of reason and seemed to be in control.

"Awoo! Alpha! I like it. Thanks, pipsqueak! Now... What should I do with this wimpy omega?" Alpha said opening his maw and grinning at Alex who looked on in shock and horror. What kind of monster was inside him?

"Feast on the rest of his soul… The wolf is useless to us now. Play with him, kill him; do as you please!" The rat said coldly.

"Finally! I've been waiting to put you in your place." Alpha said as he burned the metal clamps holding Alex in place. He grabbed the limp wolf and threw him into a nearby wall. The wolf was too weak to make a sound, but the pain was real. His vision blurred as he saw the large wolf stomped confidently closer and closer to him.

"Alex! Can you hear me? It's Fenrir!" A voice called out desperately in his mind.

"Fenrir...? So it is true. You put him inside of me..." Alex responded back to the voice.

"This wasn't meant to happen... The spirit was supposed to test you, make you grow stronger. We are in need of your power, but the enemy caught wind of my schemes. It would seem there is a traitorous primal spirit in my ranks..." Fenrir replied.

"Test me? Make me stronger? I've been through hell because of you! I could barely keep him in check, and I've hurt my friends in the process!" Alex cried back.

"The fate of so many rests on your unique soul... I needed to quicken that ability by any means necessary. If we lose this, everything will be destroyed." Fenrir said.

"I know... You told me that, but... But I never wanted this. Why do I have to fight? Why was I chosen!?" Alex said defeatedly. Tears started streaming down his cheeks.

"Because... Your soul was born with the Link ability. It's the key to saving all. Only you possess it. Yet none of that matters now; your soul is almost gone, and I can't help you..." Fenrir said defeatedly.

Fenrir's words echoed in his mind. Was there really nothing he could do? He opened his eyes and saw the large wolf grab him by his undershirt collar raising him up to Alpha's eyes. The link ability... Everything was connected. If only he could cut off Alpha from his soul. Then it hit him. Perhaps he could do just that. Alpha threw him across the room like a rag doll as Alex hit the floor a few feet away, making him cough up blood. Even so, he gazed at Alpha with a determined look, he can't give up. He needed answers, he needed to live.

"You can still move and breathe? Impressive. But your defiance ends here. I will show you what it means to look upon your superior... Your Alpha, with anything but obedience and terror!" The large wolf shouted as dark flames wrapped around his body and gathered in his right paw.

It was then when he saw it; a small tether between himself and Alpha. It was golden in color and was Alex's only chance. Alex called forth his weapon, his broadsword looking dull and rusty with the soul drained from him but it should still be enough. "What are you going to do with that rusty blade, weakling?"

Alex gritted his fangs and swung in the air, cutting the tether in half. Alpha then immediately looked at him in horror as his connection to Alex's soul was broken in an instant. Whatever soul energy he was gathering went back into Alex, rejuvenating and recovering some of his major injuries. The big wolf still kept a lot of Alex's force, however, but the sudden loss of his 'meal source' caused his flames to spread throughout the lab, making the various equipment in the room burned down and destroyed as the alarms went off.

"Alex... You've cut the link... I'm sorry it had to come to that. Soon my words won't reach you anymore. Listen, Alex! You must recover your soul... I need to tell you the truth... Alex... please!" The voice echoed before it faded away from his mind. Alex wondered what Fenrir meant, but he had bigger problems to worry about. Alpha was slowly recovering from his injuries, and he spied a certain pissed off rat.

"Damn you, wolf! How dare you ruin my perfect experiment?" The doctor shouted before one the of the nearby consoles exploded from the lab damage. "Alpha, grab him!"

As the bigger wolf attempted to grab Alex, a single arrow struck his arm, causing Alpha to cry out in pain. "I don't think so, rat! C'mon Howler, we're leaving this joint!" A voice said with a certain smugness to it. Alex saw Nick at the door to the lab and immediately rushed to him. The wolf was limping a bit from what happened, but he was able to safely reach Nick's side. The Fox pressed the button he used to open the steel door to close it once again before smashing the console, preventing pursuit for a good while. "Hey, you okay?" He asked Alex with a cocky smirk as he helped the injured wolf by lending him his shoulder to lean on. Despite being shorter than Alex, it was still helpful for Alex to continue walking.

"Thank you, Nick..." He said weakly and coughing a bit as they slowly made their way through the base to find the exit.

"Damn them!" The rat groaned as he slammed his fist on a broken console. He took out a device for communications and shouted into it. "Luke! Kill that damn fox this instant! And I want that wolf back with all his bones broken!"

Back to the duo, no one was pursuing them thankfully as Alex and Nick made their way into a large room, an exit sign hung above a nearby doorway. The room was made entirely of metal, and it seemed to be a large corridor slowly leading upwards to the exit door. As they approached it, the exit doorway opened and a familiar figure appeared. The figure tipped his outback hat upwards showing a grin, his reddish brown fur coming into view as he approached the two.

The Australian dingo, Luke, folded his arms and shook his head. "You two really made a mess here. How am I supposed to enjoy some downtime when you go and try to escape? Guess I have no choice." A familiar shotgun, the dingo's soul weapon, appeared in his paws. "Now then, officer... Why don't you and that broken wolf show me the last struggles of your hapless souls before I snuff them out?" Luke said in a cold tone full of malicious intent.

"Damn it... Alex, stay back, and when you have the chance, run for it!" Nick ordered before he called forth his bow.

"N-no! I won't let you do this alone! Even if I am a broken wolf, he's too much for you by yourself!" He said as he trembled a bit by standing up and calling forth his sword.

"You seem not to know when to quit, Howler! Guess we're kindred spirits, huh?" Nick said chuckling.

Alex smiled back. "I learned from the best!" He felt a stronger bond between himself and the fox and sensed a connection that he never felt before. The intense moment before a life or death battle with a comrade in arms. The connection felt so familiar. Was this the link ability? Alex felt like he could feel Nick's thoughts and soul giving him strength.

"Now, shall we dance?" Luke said before firing a shotgun blast at the two. Alex and Nick evaded with speed in which Luke hadn't seen before. "Impressive that you can move that way in your current state. Now try this on! Satellite Beam!" Luke said as he fired straight up in the air. Soon a ball of energy appeared above Alex and Nick's heads, raining down on them.

The two got grazed by the barrage of energy blasts raining down on them but managed to make it out of the attack. Nick then thought this was an opportune time to strike back. "Scatter Shot!" The Fox yelled, firing his bow at the enemy as the arrows split up and converged upon Luke. The dingo jumped up and dodged the attack and while in mid-air, Alex took the chance and continued the assault.

"Crescent Slash!" Alex was really in sync with Nick. After Luke managed to dodge Nick's attack, Alex was able to land his hit on him. The dingo was unable to dodge and took the slash directly, the beam exploding upon impact.

"Argh!" He yelped as he fell to the ground with a loud thud. Picking himself back up, Luke looked grazed but not as wounded while the attack faded. "Hmph... Not bad, but you are a lot weaker without that half of your soul, huh?" He said cockily, making Alex growl back, annoyed that the dingo hit the nail on the head.

"Nick, lend me your strength. I think we can win. We just have to trust each other more. If we can keep up the pace, he should be no match for the two of us!" Alex said confidently.

The Fox nodded as he looked back at Luke. Nick felt something odd. Was his energy increasing? He felt stronger than before for some reason, and it wasn't from putting extra hours in the gym earlier in the week. Was Alex giving him strength as well? Alex looked Nick and nodded. "Here goes nothing! Soul Link!" Alex shouted as he glowed in a bright energy, Nick's body illuminated as well. The two canids' eyes changed and looked more determined than before. "Now we fight as one!" Alex said as he waved his paw over his rusty sword, the sword starting to glow a bit. The rust was about half-gone, and his blade had some of its sharpness back.

"Impossible! You are using the fox's soul to compensate for your lost soul? But you two aren't even the same species, what kind of sorcery is this?" Luke snarled before he fired a charged shot at Nick. Alex immediately sensed Nick in danger and leaped in front of the Fox to then block the bullet with his broadsword.

"I guess we are both canids, Howler, but I think I feel like howling a bit myself." Nick chuckled as he jumped back and fired a barrage of arrows at Luke. The arrows were faster and more powerful, effectively catching Luke off guard as it struck his arm and leg. The dingo cried out in pain as blood started to spill out of his wounds.

"I won't let you two make a fool of me! Eat this! Ricochet Ballet!" Luke growled as his body growled with energy. In anger, he fired multiple shots around the room. The shots bounced off the metal walls from all directions and were nearly impossible to dodge. Even with their link, Alex was unable to block most of the shots and ended up taking a few hits, his left shoulder grazed as well as his leg. Before a direct hit could be struck on the Wolf, Nick pushed him out of the way and fired an arrow at the annoying bullet, causing it to explode mid-air. Nick continued to try to get rid of the remaining bullets but he was distracted. Luke took the opportunity to finish the fox off. His shotgun charged with a massive amount of energy and fired at the preoccupied fox.

"No! No you don't! Lunar Curtain!" Alex shouted as he ran in front of Nick. His feels of wanting to protect his friend called forth a new soul art. A large shield appeared in front of Alex which completely blocked Luke's strong attack. This left Nick with the chance to get rid of the last few bullets from the Ricochet Ballet.

"This power. This wasn't in our reports! Damn you, pup!" Luke said as he grit his fangs, not backing down and preparing another charged blast.

"Let's finish this Nick!" Alex said looking back to Nick.

"After you Howler!" Nick shouted back. Alex broke his shield and rushed to Luke, swinging his sword. Blocking his strike was the only thing Luke could do. The dingo tried to shake off the wolf's assault but was unable to.

"Alex!" Nick shouted as he fired a large beam of light from his bow. The entire bow seemed to be turning into the arrow as it crashed into the steel. The arrow was sword-like in appearance, much to Nick's delight. Alex jumped back and grabbed Nick's arrow and put his own sword on the ground. Nick ran up and grabbed Alex's soul weapon and was able to wield it, the sword shrinking a bit to match his size.

"Now, together!" Alex said as they both rushed in and slashed away at Luke. "You made a big mistake underestimating us! Eat this! Synergy Finish! Fang and…" The Wolf shouted before the Fox added "CLAW!" And with that, they both swung their blades at Luke. The dingo was flung into the wall, mostly knocked out and covered in cuts and wounds.

The dingo then coughed up some blood as he looked back up at Nick and Alex who looked like they were back to normal. "Go on, kill me, you are the victors."

The two then walked up to him. "No, no matter what you have done with this organization, it doesn't justify killing you." Alex said.

"I would arrest you right here but we have to get outta here before more friends come here to meet us." Nick said winking at Luke.

Luke looked down and laughed weakly. "I'll remember that, kit. But I'll be the winner next time…" he said before passing out.

With no time to lose, Alex and Nick went through the unguarded exit door and soon arrived at a familiar jungle-like environment. They had to get far away from here and find a way back to everyone and fast.


	30. A Brief Respite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the Tropical Trap arc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been way to long but I have renewed vigor to write more of this. It's a bit short but hope you guys enjoy! Reviews are most welcome!
> 
> Thanks to KeyToTruth12 as always for beta reading! One of his characters makes a cameo here as well! Go check out his awesome fanfic on fanfiction.net called "Beyond the Distance" as well!

"It feels like we have been searching for hours..." Kevin groaned annoyingly. "I wish I could check the time but our phones are busted in this place." He sighed as they continued through the tropical jungle.

"Hehe didn't think you were much of a whiner Kevin. You've always struck me as someone who keeps going and going." Sarah said, giggling.

"Hey, I can keep going for sure! It's just that I wish there were a clue or hint, or something." He replied.

"Shh, quiet! I hear something..." Judy said, motioning them to stop their conversation. Her super sensitive ears were picking up something in the distance. It was faint, but it was the sound of heavy breathing from two animals, and it wasn't too far from here. "Follow me!" She whispered as she dashed through in the direction of the noise. Kevin and Sarah nodded to each other and followed quickly after.

Judy's heart was beating as she ran to the source of the breathing noise. Then there she saw them; Alex and Nick, battered and bruised. They were still in their underwear and wearing t-shirts after Phantom took their regular clothes away. "Nick! Alex!" She shouted and promptly rushed towards them.

Nick was letting Alex rest against a nearby tree, his breathing was getting heavier by the second. Nick himself was also taking a break when he noticed Judy running up to him. She then suddenly jumped and hugged Nick tightly. "You had me so worried!" Nick returned the hug and responded with a tried: "Carrots... You made it!"

Judy broke the hug after a moment and looked at the wolf with a concerned look. "Alex... Are you okay?" Alex couldn't muster up a response and could only shake his head side to side.

"I checked the poor guy, and he broke out in a fever moments ago. But we can talk later, we need to get out of this place first. They might still be chasing us." Nick said with a sense of urgency.

Kevin and Sarah finally caught up to Judy and were shocked to see the two canids in this state. "Here, let me take a look. I hope I can heal some of this…" Sarah said as she placed her paw over Nick's and concentrated. Within moments his bruises were gone, and he was feeling fit as a fiddle. He jumped up from his sitting position and stretched a bit. The doe then turned her attention to Alex. While she was able to heal Alex's external wounds, she couldn't do a thing for his fever.

"Leave Alex to me, I got this!" Kevin said as he pointed to himself. With minimal effort, he hoisted Alex unceremoniously over his shoulder. "Now... How the heck do we get back to the gate?"

"Not to worry! I can lead us back, I've been marking our path back just in case we got lost." Sarah said happily.

"Wow, impressive! Excellent work Sarah!" Judy said joyously which caused the doe to blush.

"Let's get going!" Nick said as Sarah led the way back. The group ran back as fast as they could and ended up at the gate and escaped back into the real world.

Meanwhile…

"So... That little wolf is still alive?" Said a large imposing polar bear in a deep Russian accent. He was young and rugged, looking with the fierce eyes of a warrior. The polar bear was wearing heavy plated armor that moved well with his massive bulky frame. His name was Boris, and he was one of the top four of Phantom called "The Four Specters". Boris is in charge of combat operations and training new recruits.

"That damn wolf... He surpassed my data. I never imagined he would break the link with his primal spirit. I didn't think he had it in him." The irritated mouse Dr. Muroidea replied.

"You talked big about your experiment, but yet you did not do as you boasted." A young female mink with beautiful ebony fur said in a monotone voice. She was dressed in long flowing robes that looked one size too big for her, yet she liked it because it felt nice to move around in. She was called Meera, and she was also one of the four specters. The small mink was in charge of their spy operations and managing the information that comes in. This also includes manipulation of real world data to suit Phantom's needs.

"Hmph, whatever." The rat said in a huff. "At least the majority of it was a success. We freed the spirit that was trapped inside that wolf and bound him to our side. I guess we have your operative to thank for this information Meera."

"Yes, we are quite fortunate to have Sean. His primal spirit, Ratatoskr, has been a boon to our cause." She replied without a hint of emotion in her face or voice.

"Now that we have our 'Alpha' wolf, are we ready to begin preparations for removing the second grand seal? Our new operative, Roland, has brought back a lot of intelligence in the area surrounding the seal. We should be breaking it as soon as possible." The rat asked the group before him.

"Patience! The great spirits have tightened up their defenses of the seals once we began our operations. If we go in there unprepared, we might lose a few good operatives." Boris interjected.

"Bah, you are too cautious! This will be a perfect test for my artificial grudges!" The rat shouted back in response and glared harshly at the large, towering bear.

"Oh? You mean those creatures that take way too long to make and have obvious weaknesses? I'm sure those will be a great help…" Boris said and chuckled, his belly jiggling up and down.

"What was that? I dare you to say that to my face!" The rat said furiously.

"Quiet down... You are disturbing our leader with your bickering…" A lion said as he walked into the room. He was wearing a cape and some light clothes that fit snugly on his muscular body. He was called Leon, and he was the leader of the four specters and second in command of Phantom. "Our leader has decided on the day of the attack on the second seal. In two weeks, on the day of the new moon where spirits are at their weakest. He also said he will forgive you, Dr. Muroidea, for this 'mishap' that cost us one of our bases. But know that you may not be so fortunate next time."

Instead of responding in anger the rat knelt down out of respect and fear and nodded. "Understood. I will not disappoint."

"Make your preparations. This meeting is adjourned." Leon said authoritatively. The other three specters nodded and went off in their own separate ways. The lion walked back to the room he was just in and knelt before the leader of Phantom. "Things are progressing well. Once we break the second seal, we will be one step closer to our ideal world you will create." He said with a burning passion in his eyes and in his heart.

Back in the real world, Alex was resting in a nearby bed, his fever already starting to go down as the rest of the group discussed the events that had transpired. They talked about the secret lab, the evil doctor, the spirit that was trapped inside of Alex, and the defeat of the dingo Luke through a mysterious power that resonated between Alex and Nick.

"Wow, this is starting to get serious... So that moment when Alex went 'crazy' and attacked Kevin and Jake, it was because of this 'Alpha' spirit?" Judy said.

"Yeah…" Alex said weakly from the bed listening to the conversation. "I can't believe my primal spirit, Fenrir put that thing inside me. Yet I cut the link between myself and him, I can no longer hear his voice. On top of that with half of my soul gone, my soul weapon is all rusted." He coughed a bit as he sat up.

"Though, that soul link power sounds cool. I wanna link with Alex next! I bet we can unleash some awesome power!" Kevin said, slamming his paws together and grinning. Alex sighed at the battle maniac's fever, but he couldn't help but appreciate the enthusiasm. The wolf did feel some kind of rush when he was fighting. Perhaps deep down he was a battle maniac as well?

"So... What should we do now?" Alex asked, questioning their course of action.

"Judy, I think we should dig into Mammal Medical. That rat doctor says he basically owns it now, we might be able to dig some dirt on him." Nick said giving a cocky, confident smirk.

"That sounds good, and you mentioned that those companies were bribed by Phantom to recruit Alex, correct? We need to take a look at that as well. It may have some leads to Phantom itself." Judy replied.

"I think I will do more research on spirits, it could be useful if we are going to keep going back there. Kevin! We should work together on this at the university." Sarah suggested happily.

"I'm more keen on using my fists than reading, but I guess knowledge is power." Kevin nodded.

"As for you Howler, your number one priority is to rest up." Nick said, sounding like a father in tone.

"But… I wanna help…" Alex said, sighing. But the others were having none of it. The wolf gave up once he saw the looks of worry on their faces. "Alright, I got it. Our stay here is almost up, so I'll rest up at home. It's sad we couldn't enjoy this place despite it being a trap."

"Don't worry bud! We should come back here next time once we get rid of those bad guys!" Kevin said, grinning.

Alex frowned. "I don't wanna come back here after being framed for murder and tortured in a lab on this island."

"Aww, it's not like it will happen again!" Kevin begged and gave sad cat-like eyes to Alex.

"Not to mention I got nailed in the face with a volleyball by my own serve... I still feel that." He sighed. The others laughed a bit as they remembered that moment.

"We better not tell him that Finnick recorded that and uploaded it online." Kevin whispered way too loudly.

"He did what!?" Alex shouted with a renewed energy. Judy took out her phone and showed it to Alex, the video already reaching a million views titled 'Volleyball Fail'. "Great... This sucks... Definitely never coming back here…"

The group then let Alex rest and soon they all headed back to the Zootopia mainland.

Meanwhile, late at night, a young raccoon was in his room reading up on a newspaper article that he had laying around. An article depicting the collapse of the Kapok Mansion and the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of fellow Zootopia University students Kevin Clawhauser and Sarah Forrester. The report details that they were rescued by famous police duo Nicholas Wilde and Judy Hopps along with an anonymous citizen who volunteered to help out. This event smelled of the paranormal. Everyone knows the legend surrounding that place as well as the disappearances.

Out of frustration, he slammed his paw on his desk as he read and re-read the article. This wasn't the first time something unexplainable happened in Zootopia. Recently there was also the case of the jewel thief that vanished into thin air. The police were only able to recover some of the jewelry, and the thief was still not caught. If he was going to investigate, Kevin and Sarah were the best candidates. "This time I'll get to the bottom of it... Or my name isn't Wesley Bright!" He said to himself as he prepared his supplies for tomorrow. He was going to get the answers he needed no matter what.


	31. Call of the Wild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex is being stalked by a paranormal investigator as he makes an odd discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Time for the start of a new arc! Comments are most welcome and help keep me going! =)
> 
> A/N 2: Thanks to KeyToTruth12 as always for beta reading! The character of Wesley Bright belongs to him.
> 
> A/N 3: Boomer belongs to maddog197x

It was a chilly summer night, and a particular young wolf stirred in the night, tossing and turning in his bed. Alex was having another dream; it was intense and vibrant. All alone in a forest clearing, he could feel the breeze blowing through his fur, the smell of the trees filling his lungs with each breath. His eyes gazed up at the full moon, and soon he heard a howl from the distance. Suddenly darkness began to encroach upon him, threatening to swallow him whole. As if by instinct he started to run, running as fast as he could towards the direction of that howl. Advancing towards it, he heard the howl once more, louder than before. His heart was beating rapidly as if trying to escape the confines of his body, his breathing becoming heavy, and he then neared the source of the howl.

Alex came upon a rocky cliff overlooking a large part of the forest; it was a pack of wolves gathering around one leader, an alpha wolf. It became apparent what the howls meant; it was a call... A call to arms. The wolves were seemingly bipedal, wearing the garb of ancient warriors of ages past. Alex noticed the darkness stopped chasing him as if these wolves were keeping it at bay. The Warriors were sharpening crude, rudimentary weapons, ostensibly preparing for an upcoming battle. The alpha was meditating by a campfire. He was a grayish wolf; tall, strong, wearing a just a pair of shorts with a knitted design, his upper body exposed to the air. Around his neck was a necklace made of large feathers, and all along his body was war paint. On his light fur on his chest were two red flames that only looked more intense next to the flickering fire. He looked intimidating yet for some reason he felt comfortable being in his presence, despite being a warrior it seemed he had natural charisma to attract others around him.

Alex took steps towards the alpha wolf. His presence wasn't seen by the other members of the pack. However, the leader noticed him and smiled. He stood up and held out a paw as if to welcome him. Alex picked up the pace and reached out for the paw. But as he did, the paw went through the other wolf... The warrior before him was nothing but an illusion. The alpha wolf smiled and howled one last time before he faded into the wind along with his pack. All that was left was a wolf fang left on the ground. Alex bent down and picked it up as it glowed a soft, warm light in his paws. Soon the light enveloped him, and then…

"Ugh…" Alex moaned as the intrusive sunlight broke through the window blinds and hit his face, causing him to wake and end his dream. The wolf remembered every single detail of that dream, but it felt too real to be just a dream. Perhaps there was some meaning behind it? The wolf thankfully had today off, so he decided to get some fresh air. Perhaps a walk will clear his head.

Meanwhile…

A particular raccoon was on a mission. His name was Wesley Bright, and as his last name suggests he is indeed a very bright young raccoon. At just a tender age of 19, he has become a freshman at Zootopia University, as well as starting up his own company. His company, "Paranormal Hunters" was created so he could investigate all ghost-related and supernatural occurrences in Zootopia. As the sole employee of said company, he has an immense interest in spirits and the recent events that happened at Kapok Mansion, and the case of the vanishing thief. Luckily, with his sleuth skills and the oblivious youths who love to post their locations and status on Pawbook, Kevin Clawhauser; a junior at the university was easy to locate. Wesley had a determined look on his face as he walked calmly to the library.

Before approaching his target, it was prudent to observe them for a bit. Sitting at a nearby table, he glanced at the cheetah talking with a doe; another student at the university who just so happens to be the other student who went missing, Sarah Forrester. What a fortunate turn of events for him! His ears perked up as he overheard the students talking.

"Ugh, I don't understand any of this mumbo jumbo…" Kevin sighed as his face fell, smacking into the book on the desk.

"Don't give up so easily. I know it's hard, but we need to do some more research on spirits... Anything about legends or folklore can help. Hey, are you listening?" Sarah asked as she lightly tapped the back of Kevin's head with a book while he was laying on the book like it was a pillow.

"Yeah…" He groaned. "I just wish we could ask someone instead of reading it. It would be easier to get information this way."

There it was; a perfect opportunity arrived on his lap. Getting up from his desk he walked over to the cheetah and the doe. "Greetings!" He said, staring upwards at the two larger species sitting at a desk made for their size. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I happen to be a paranormal investigator with a vast knowledge of ghosts. My name is Wesley Bright. Here is my card…" The raccoon soon produced a card from his shoulder bag containing the name and contact number of his company. As Kevin took the card, he adjusted a tied up blue sweater that was wrapped around his waist over his blue slacks and fixed the collar of his black and yellow striped polo shirt.

"Oh wow, this guy is legit! How lucky are we, Sarah?" Kevin grinned.

"Nice to meet you, Wesley. I am Sarah, and this is Kevin. So you know a lot about ghosts and the like?" She asked inquisitively.

"Oh yes, I solved a lot of cases, most of which are just paranoid animals not understanding how doors and rocking chairs work, but some of them were hauntings," Wesley said, trying not to remember those awful cases when he was first starting out. "But do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Ask away, little guy!" Kevin smiled.

Immediately switching to a serious facial expression, Wesley started his questioning. "You two were involved in the recent case of Kapok Manor correct? You two disappeared and were rescued by the famous Nick and Judy as well as an unmentioned third party. Can you tell me more about what happened?"

Sarah lowered her head, not wanting to remember that incident as it was very emotional for her. "I... Well…"

Kevin saw Sarah was having a hard time, so he took over. "Well, we wanted to investigate that mansion for a project, so to speak. As we entered the building, we didn't think much of the ghost legend. Soon I was kidnapped and captured by the crazy ghost panther who was haunting the mansion. Man, if Alex weren't there, we would've been toast…"

"Alex? Who is that?" Wesley said, taking an interest.

"His name is Alex Lykos, and he along with Nick and Judy saved us from the ghost. That wolf knows how to kick butt!" Kevin said vigorously.

"Uh, Kevin? Maybe we should leave it at that…" Sarah said, not wanting Kevin to spill too many secrets. It might even confuse the raccoon more if they talked about Spirit Weapons and Phantom.

"Huh? Why? It's thanks to him we are able to enter the Spirit realm and help out with the- oof! Ouch!" Kevin gasped as he felt the swift kick of a doe who was sitting across the table from him.

"Hmm... Alex, Spirit Realm... And you guys who can enter a place as well. I think I need to have a chat with this wolf." Wesley said as he proceeded to enter the information he collected on his phone and went to look up information on Alex. "Thanks for the intel. I don't have time to waste, so if you'll excuse me…"

"Hey! What about our information on spirits? You promised!" Kevin said a bit angrily.

"You two seem to have a lot more knowledge than you let on. That doe is trying very hard to make you keep your muzzle shut. I just need to locate this Alex... And then I'll be able to progress my own investigation further." Wesley smirked and said confidently.

"Hmph, good luck finding him! You don't even know what he looks like!" Kevin retorted in a cocky tone.

"You should be careful of what you post on the internet. Your Pawbook page has a video of where you refer to an Alex; he was on the beach and getting hit by a volleyball that he served himself. Seeing as how you know this Alex, it is a logical conclusion that this is the wolf I seek. With a bit more tweaking to my searches, I could probably find his address. Do you see how valuable information is, my dear cheetah?" He said coldly and calculatingly. "Now, I should be on my way... Have fun with your books."

"Oh, Kevin… Now this guy is going to go stalk Alex thanks to you…" Sarah said sadly.

"Oh no you don't... Get back here!" Kevin said as he jumped out of his chair and grabbed the tiny raccoon, pulling him up to his face giving him a menacing look.

Not losing his composure, Wesley smiled back. "My... What a scary face you have…" He replied as he reached into his back and pulled out a camera. Setting up the flash to high, he pressed the shutter a few times in rapid succession and let out multiple blinding flashes of light in Kevin's face. Kevin's eyes took the full brunt of the flash, and in confusion he dropped Wesley who landed safely on the floor and took the opportunity to dash away. It took a few minutes for Kevin to recover from his temporary blindness but Wesley was long gone by then.

"Are you alright, Kevin?" Sarah said as he walked up to him.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." He said, regaining his balance as he looked back at Sarah. "I just... I'm sorry I let Alex's name slip. I didn't know he would want to stalk him. I don't even know what he will do to him."

"It's fine. Let's just text Alex to be careful of that raccoon, and we can join up with him after class. We don't want to be late." Sarah said as she pointed out the time.

"Ugh, yeah... Class. Then we'll go after that guy." Kevin said as he gathered his stuff and walked with Sarah to class.

Back to the raccoon; using his sleuthing skills, Wesley managed to find Alex's address and was soon standing outside his apartment building. It took about an hour to find and walk to this place, and now he was standing in the shade waiting to see if he finds any wolf that matches the appearance he saw in the video. After waiting for a bit, he saw a wolf walking out of the front door. His attire matches that of a nerd. "That... Must be him."

The wolf was walking to the south, and it was time to observe him a bit to see where he was going. He might lead him to the Spirit realm. In all his research if he could reach the place where spirits resided he might be able to find out what he could never have access to before. "Estelle... I'll find you, I swear it!" He muttered to himself before he set out to tail Alex.

Alex was deep in thought as he walked around the block trying to clear his head, he decided to take a different path than he was used to and started to wander about. "Hmm... I wonder what it could mean…" He muttered.

"Hey, watch out!" Shouted someone with a familiar voice but it was too late. Alex ran smack dab into a streetlight when he wasn't paying attention. The wolf slumped to the ground in pain. In the distance, Wesley was dumbstruck at someone who could be so careless as he was walking but couldn't help but chuckle at his clumsy actions. It indeed matched up with the volleyball video. This was definitely the wolf. A small beaver walked up to him. "Are you alright, Alex?"

"Yeah... I'll be fine." Alex answered, rubbing his nose making sure it wasn't bleeding. "Wait... Is that you, Boomer?"

"Yep, that would be me! Happy to see you up and about and not in jail." Boomer smiled.

Alex got up and smiled. "Ah, yeah... Haha. Thanks so much for helping out. I got sick and couldn't properly thank you before I left. If you didn't help out, I think I might be a dead wolf right about now. How much do I owe you for your services?" He asked.

"Oh, well, that wasn't actually a case as you were a key part of figuring everything out. I don't feel right charging you, so let's call it a preview of my services." Boomer smiled.

"Wow... You're... You're really kind, but I don't want this debt to go unpaid. If you are ever in any trouble, I promise to come help you out no matter what!" Alex said as he offered his paw.

"Alright then, it's a deal!" Boomer laughed and shook the wolf's paw. And despite being larger than him, Alex had a gentle grip. "Well I need to get back to my office, but it was nice seeing you again."

"Yes, definitely! Take care, Boomer!" Alex said as he waved to him. Soon he continued on his way with Wesley secretly following him in tow.

Somehow he wandered into Sahara Square, the desert-like area of Zootopia. Usually, he hated the hot places in Zootopia. But for some reason he felt something was calling him there, and he was soon nearing the source. The wolf checked his phone for the time and noticed a few unread messages from Sarah that he didn't notice before. It read: "Alex, beware of a raccoon called Wesley. He might be stalking you. We don't know what his goals are, but we will be right there as soon as class is over." Alex wondered what this raccoon wanted with him but decided to respond to her. "Sorry for the late response, I just got to the Bazaar of Sahara Square. I didn't see any raccoon on the way here but thanks for the heads up."

Alex then soon started panting; he unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt to relieve himself from the heat. The Bazaar was home to various merchants from all over the world to sell rare and exotic goods. Things were always different each time you came, and collectors would flock here to get rare finds. Alex browsed the various stalls and soon saw something that stood out in his mind. His heart beat furiously as he approached the object. It was a pair of wolf fang earrings... The fangs reminded him of that warrior he saw in his dream. Could this be what was bothering him and lead him to this place? The wolf had to take the earrings with him.

"Excuse me, sir, how much for these earrings?" He asked the camel merchant.

"Ah, those earrings? Rumor has it that they belonged to an ancient wolf warrior. And as seeing that you're interested, I will sell it for… 400!" The merchant replied expecting the wolf to haggle.

"Deal!" Alex said, being dense about haggling and how the bazaar worked. The camel wasn't going to complain about the extra money and happily gave him the earrings.

As he was walking back towards his apartment in Savannah Central, he noticed a small raccoon in his path. "Hello! Pleasure to make your acquaintance, butt-kicking wolf. Alex Lykos, I presume? Now, would you kindly to spill the beans? Tell me what you know about the Spirit Realm." He demanded promptly and out of nowhere.

Alex was a bit scared at the sudden interest in him by this raccoon. Could he be a member of Phantom? If he was, why would he ask about the Spirit Realm? Either way, this guy was suspicious. "Sorry... I'm in a hurry!" Alex said before running off.

"Hey! Get back here! I promise I'm not gonna hurt you!" Wesley shouted as he ran after him.

The chase didn't last long as Alex mixed with the heat of the Sahara district made for a bad time when it came to any form of exertion. He ducked into a shady alleyway where he collapsed and proceeded to pant heavily. Wesley easily caught up to him and was panting as well. "Please... This is important. Tell me what you know."

"Alex! Watch out! It's that raccoon!" A familiar voice said from afar. In the distance, he saw Kevin and Sarah running after him.

Before he could make a move something started glowing. The earrings in his paws let out a soft, warm light.

"Huh...? What is that light? What's happening!?" Wesley asked alarmingly.

"I... Don't know…" Alex replied before the light engulfed the two. They soon vanished without a trace.

"Oh no! They disappeared!" Sarah shouted as best as she could, albeit weakly as she was out of breath.

"And no spirit gate to follow them... That's the one place they could have gone to! Let's get Nick and Judy! We need to go after them!" Kevin said, taking charge.

"Right!" Sarah said as she pulled her phone out.

Meanwhile, Alex and Wesley were out cold on the ground next to each other. They soon both woke up in a stir. Wesley looked at his surroundings, the sky was an off color, the air felt eerie and tiny glowing blue wisps were surrounding them. The raccoon checked his phone and found it was off with no way to turn it on. He tried taking a picture but his camera was of no use. "Where the hell are we?" Wesley asked.

"The place where you were asking about before... The Spirit Realm." Alex responded as he looked at the earrings that were still glowing in his paw. This area they woke up in wasn't even in Sahara Square. He saw lush forests all around filled with tall evergreen trees.

An unfamiliar voice rang in the air, "Thank you for responding to my call! Thought you would never reach me!" The voice was deep yet happy in sound. "I know it's a bit of a walk but can you head for that cliff on the hill behind you? I'll explain everything there."

"Who are you?" Alex asked the voice but it didn't answer back.

"What was that voice? What's going on?" Wesley asked in a slight panic as he was in an unfamiliar situation.

"We'll talk as we walk. I have a lot to explain about." The wolf sighed and advanced towards said cliff with the raccoon following him intently from behind.


	32. Trial by Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex is put to the test by a great wolf spirit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait but wrote a bit longer of a chapter so I don't leave you guys hanging! Let me know what you think!
> 
> BetaReading by KeyToTruth12

At the first precinct of the ZPD, Judy and Nick were called into a meeting in Bogo's office to discuss recent events that took place on the resort island as well as previous cases. The large bull was still as intimidating as ever. He propped his reading glasses as he examined the recent case files once more. "Wilde...Hopps! I've examined these reports you sent me and I can't help but notice the main suspect was a certain wolf named Alex Lykos. The same wolf who was also present and 'helped' when you disappeared without warning a week ago. I'm also to believe that you have frequent contact with him according to Clawhauser. Strange things seem to be happening around this particular fellow and in such a short time span...this can't be a coincidence."

"What are you trying to say chief?" a nervous Judy asks.

"This Alex Lykos has become an 'Animal of Interest'. He needs to be closely observed at all times." Bogo says as he paces behind his desk.

"Aren't you going a bit overboard on this wolf sir? He is hardly a threat." Nick said in a condescending tone.

"Shut it Wilde… no one is involved in this many incidents in such a short time. We need to nip this in the bud before it gets out of control. So along with your officer duties if you ever encounter Alex Lykos you are to report and document any peculiar behavior. Now get back to work!" Bogo ordered.

"Roger chief!" Judy saluted.

"Will do, will tell you each time he buys a video game on the rare occasion he leaves his apartment." Nick said cheekily which made Bogo very unamused. The fox scurried out along with Judy.

After the two left, Bogo opened one of his desk drawers and stared at an old photo. "I must take matters into my own hands. Prepare yourself Alex Lykos…"

Outside of the office Judy walked with Nick back to their desks. "I wonder why the chief is being so cautious about Alex. He had an odd reaction when he heard his name and saw him for the first time too."

"Who knows Carrots...maybe another wolf called Alex Lykos bullied him as a child and the name triggered a childhood trauma." Nick said jokingly pulling a theory out of thin air.

"Be serious Nick. I think the chief might know something about him or at least something we don't. It might be related to Phantom." Judy suggested.

"I doubt Phantom would covertly contact the police just to capture Alex but I guess it almost happened on the island in a sneaky sort of way." Nick thought outloud.

"Speaking of Phantom, our interviews this morning were a dead end. We got some of those CEOs to admit they were contacted by an outside source to hire Alex as part of their 'grand plan' on the island but it was through means we can't easily track. Even Alex's boss didn't know much other that he was contacted by the global director to send him to the conference. These guys sure know how to cover their tracks, though there has to be a slip up somewhere we can use as our own lead." Judy said as they soon reached their desk and sat down. Judy's was a nice neat and orderly desk with her computer decorated in a cute manner.

Nick sat at his slightly dirty and disorganized desk and responded, "Hmm these guys are good, I doubt they would leave loose ends. I think our best hope would be to capture one of them in the spirit world. We lost our chance at Luke because we were escaping but if we ever get another chance we need to grab them and make 'em talk."

Judy's ears lowered. "Yeah that might be our only hope. Though that's easier said than done. Alice nearly wiped the floor with me. I need to get better!"

"Yeah, I need to get stronger as well...if I was alone facing Luke again I probably would be dead." Nick sighed before returning to a cheerful mood. "Well can't say this job is boring…"

Judy giggled and smiled. "Very true fox. Let's start putting together our notes then for our report on the island incident and call it a day."

Nick soon got a text message notification and Judy got one a few moments later. Both were identical and from Sarah. "Alex and a stalking raccoon from our school vanished into thin air in Sahara Square. Come as soon as you can." The message was followed by an address of where it took place.

"I'm starting to see why the chief called him an animal of interest." Nick sighed as he got his aviator glasses from his desk and donned them.

"Like you said, this job isn't boring." Judy said as she grabbed the keys to the squad car. They rushed towards the address Sarah mentioned and wondered what sort of trouble Alex was in now.

Meanwhile, Alex was going over the basics with Wesley. He explained how the spirit world was on a higher plane than reality and how spirits can slightly affect reality and not the other way around. The wolf also mentioned about primal spirits, soul weapons, spirit arts, grudges, and the notorious group Phantom. It was a lot to take in but Wesley seemed to handle it like well. The raccoon had a good head on his shoulders after all.

"Hmph so many things don't make sense with your explanation. I'm not sure how logically this is supposed to work. Weapons, spirit arts, monsters...I'm starting to think you are making this up and we are in some sort of drug fueled fever dream and we are both overdosed and wriggling on the ground back in Sahara Square. But again I have nothing to disprove you and this all seems very real." Wesley said trying to piece things together.

Alex sighed heavily. "It's up to your wether to believe it or not but I don't have any reason to hide information from you, especially since you are able to enter this world."

"So about spirits...you said this place is where the dead spirits come to reflect on their lives before they move on, and that the stronger the spirit the more of their former self they retain?" Wesley asked.

"Yes that's right, and those strong spirits that remember a lot about themselves are more prone to envy the living and turn into grudges, unable to move on and trapped in this world." Alex said in a serious tone.

"Hmm I see." Wesley said as he wondered if Estelle became one of those creatures. But first he had to make sure this was all real and Alex had the key to that question.

Soon the pair made it to the top of the hill and came to a rocky cliff overlooking a beautiful and dimly lit Zootopia. It was rare to see the city as a whole and the two were breathless as they admired the architecture from afar. Despite living there for most of their lives it was still quite a view.

"You two sure took your time…" said a strong and familiar male voice. "But glad you made it."

"The voice from before...where are you?" Alex cried out. Suddenly the earrings he had in his pocket glowed brightly and floated out and in the air in front of them. The bright light from them shone and soon a shape was taking form. It was a large male wolf and as the light faded Alex managed to glimpse his gray fur. A feather necklace and flames on his chest, along with those old world shorts. There was no doubt, this was the same warrior from his dream.

"Nice to finally meet you there Alex, sorry to drag that little guy but he was brought along for the ride when I sent you here." The unknown wolf chuckled as he folded his arms proudly.

"If that's true then better explain yourself...like where are we?" Wesley asked plainly.

"I believe I heard Alex explain everything on the way here but I assume you are referring to this location. It's a cliff that I used to overlook all the time, one of my favorite spots when I was alive before those buildings were made." he said in a serious manner. "I am one of the great wolf spirits. A warrior from thousands of years ago. My name is Kurt, a former warchief and alpha. I've been sent by Fenrir to aid you Alex and become a proxy for him."

"Kurt...a proxy for Fenrir?" Alex said out loud as he tried to process the new information. "Ah I see, because my link to Fenrir is cut he can't put any weirdo souls into me."

"Weirdo? If you are referring to me as odd then I am far from it. I have a lot of knowledge that I can pass down to you. You need as much help as you can pup especially after they took half your soul." he said snarling a bit.

"How am I supposed to trust Fenrir or you for that matter? Last time that evil soul took over my body and now is running amok doing who knows what." Alex responded.

"Fenrir was trying to speed up your growth but his gamble failed. Now you are left with a blunt and rusty sword. Though there is a way for you to regain your edge. Interested pup?" Kurt smirked.

"What are you talking about?" Alex asked curiously.

"Forge me into your weapon and you will gain my power. Simple as that." Kurt smiled.

"This guy really is a weirdo and that sounds perverted...do you even understand what he is yapping about Alex?" Wesley said to the wolf.

"Sort of...I was worried that I wouldn't be able to help anymore and I can't go get back my soul the way I am now." he said to Wesley before turning to Kurt. " I may not trust Fenrir but I have no reason to doubt you Kurt. In my dream I felt you were a strong, kind, and dependable wolf. But If I do this will you explain everything? Can you tell me what Fenrir wants to accomplish that he was so desperate to put that spirit inside me? Those are my conditions."

Kurt nodded. "I will tell you everything I know. It is your right after all. So, do you agree to forge my spirit with yours?"

"You won't take over my body right?" Alex asked.

Kurt chuckled heartily. "Silly pup. Forging is just a means of transferring and imprinting my knowledge and power. My spirit is housed in those earrings made from my fangs and I am quite cosy in there."

"Well that's one less worry...alright then let's do it. What do I have to do?" Alex asked.

"Very well...this rite we are about to perform is dangerous. Power is not without sacrifices. Fenrir's method took a toll on your psychological and emotional state but would have eventually lead to your spiritual growth. This method however puts your life on the line. If you cannot withstand my trial then you will die. Are you prepared?" Kurt asked.

"Die? Hey is this guy going to kill you? Alex don't do it! Let's just walk away from this insane ghost." Wesley pleaded.

Alex stepped forward, his legs shaking. "Sorry Wesley. Even though I am scared...I have to go through with this. I have so many questions I need answers to, I have friends who risked themselves to save me, if I run away now I won't forgive myself. Father...give me strength." he said as he grabbed his pendant trying to remember how his father told him to be brave and strong.

Kurt let out a howl and as he did Alex and Kurt were surrounded by a wall of flames, with Wesley trapped on the other side. The alpha wolf conjured up a broadsword, that was encased in a wondrous flame of a scarlet hue. "Very well then. Let the trail commence. You will face Kurt of the Flame! Now draw your sword and prove your strength to me!"

Alex nodded and called out his soul blunt rusty sword appearing in his paw. Wesley couldn't believe what he was seeing and pinched himself to make sure he was awake. Alex stared at Kurt with determined eyes but he knew this wasn't going to be easy. He wished his friends were here to support him but he couldn't miss this chance. The trial to determine if Alex was worthy had begun.

Alex took his improvised sword stance and slowly looked at his opponent. "Hmph I see you have some experience holding that sword, even if I see multiple openings." Kurt said confidently. The warrior wolf rushing in past Alex's defense at a speed Alex wasn't ready for and punching him in the gut. Alex flew back and hit the wall of flames. He felt the intensity of the fire as his clothes started to burn. Screaming a bit he hit the ground and started to roll which stamped out the fire.

"Watch out Alex!" Wesley cried before Kurt swung his sword straight into the ground. Alex dodged and got on his knees, narrowly avoiding the flaming sword, it's embers emanating an intense heat. It was like being in an oven and he was being baked alive. The raccoon didn't want to stand there and do nothing but as he neared the wall of flames he felt the intense heat. He probably would be severely burned if he touched it. "Damn this guy is serious. Don't die on me wolf!" he cried. Despite having just met he didn't want to see him get hurt.

"Do you wish to help? Hmm... Although that other raccoon has a lot more ambition, I do see some potential in you." A voice spoke directly in Wesley's head.

"H-huh!?" He looked around on impulse to see where the voice was coming from but saw nothing on his immediate surroundings; only the intense heat could be felt near him. "Who's there!? Show yourself!" Wesley cried back.

"I am Azeban, the primal spirit of the raccoon. You feel helpless, do you not? And you wish to find the truth about your kin? A noble goal. However, your soul seems attuned not to combat, per se…" A young voice was still echoing in his mind. "I'll grant you a bit of my power. You will receive the rest if you can defeat the other raccoon. I'm looking forward to the competition..." 

An aetherial raccoon suddenly appeared in front of Wesley just as the voice stopped. It was in a feral state; on all four legs and looked somewhat happy. The figure advanced towards him and entered his body, vanishing without a trace after, with Wesley seemingly unfazed by the situation that was currently happening. "Now, call on your soul. Give it form. Your "soul weapon", as the wolf would call it."

The raccoon then felt a warm sensation as the spirit entered his body; it felt all-natural, and he felt a sense of inner peace if only for a moment. Crazy things have been happening to him ever since he came in contact with Alex, but maybe this was the path he was meant to walk on. For now, he had to accept this crazy situation and figure things out. Closing his eyes, he concentrated and did what the primal spirit explained. Soon, a light appeared from the center of his body. He then took the light in his paws, and soon a small camera began to visualize out of thin air. It was one of those old fashioned flash Polaroid cameras, where a picture is printed out and needs to be shaken to develop.

"A camera...? And an old one too... Sucks that it isn't digital. I guess I can try it out." Wesley sighed then began to take aim and snapped a picture of Alex fighting with Kurt. A picture soon appears out of the camera. Luckily it was immediately developed. Strange symbols and text appeared on the film, Wesley took a closer look and read it aloud. "Strength... Fire. Weak to ice, left leg struggles a bit due to past injury. Very skilled hunter; do not engage." It took a moment for him to grasp what he just read, but it seemed that the camera provided information on the subject received. For some reason, even though Alex was in the shot, nothing appeared to him. Wesley quickly concluded that it must be related to spirits, and could only work on them. "Hey, wolf! Aim for his left leg! He isn't too quick with that one!" He shouted, hoping the information would turn the tides.

In the midst of the heated battle, all Alex could do was dodge and keep himself from hitting the wall again. Even if he parried the attack, Kurt would toy with him and feint with a kick or punch instead of swinging his sword. That was when Alex heard Wesley's advice; with nothing left to lose but his life, he tried concentrating his attacks towards Kurt's left leg. The wolf then slid downwards and slashed his sword towards it. Kurt barely jumped out of the way but his leg was grazed, he couldn't move it as fast.

"Tch... Clever. I have no idea how your friend found out that information, but for that, he shall interfere no more!" Kurt growled before slamming his sword into the ground and surrounded Wesley in a cage of fire, preventing him from moving his arms and causing an intense heat all over.

"No! Don't hurt him!" Alex screamed and tried swinging his sword again, which made Kurt jump back in time to dodge.

"He won't be hurt as long as he doesn't move, and the quicker you beat me, the quicker you can guarantee his safety." Kurt smirked. "Now, where were we? Oh yes… Flame Fang!" Kurt shouted, unleashing his spirit art: a row of flames rushing towards Alex.

"Crescent Slash!" The smaller wolf cried, countering the enemy's spirit art with his own. A glowing light clashing with the flames. Alex's slash wasn't strong enough, however, as his attack failed. The flames rushed in and smacked him directly, burning him and causing him to scream in pain. The enemy's fire quickly disappeared as he started to perform the same attack again.

"Looks like you weren't as strong as we thought... Flame Fang!" Kurt said as he spun around and sent a more substantial row of fire quickly towards Alex.

"Grr… Lunar Curtain!" A wall of light soon appeared around Alex as he held his sword in a defensive position. The flames met the shield of light but weren't able to pierce it. Alex was being pushed back nonetheless, his paws dragging through the dirt as he neared the flaming wall.

"I-Ice... He is weak to ice…" Wesley managed to cry out some words despite being in the intense heat.

"Shut it, whelp." Kurt growled as he motioned an open palm and closed it, making the flames start to engulf Wesley, causing him to scream in agony.

"No, Wesley! You'll pay for that…" Alex growled back, taking an assertive stance and swinging his sword, immediately making the flames encroaching upon him to disappear.

"Yes... That's the spirit... That's what I wanted to see! Now, show me your power!" Kurt smiled and charged at him. Alex met his sword with his own as sparks flew in the air. Alex concentrated and tried to do something. If his weakness was ice, then he needs to think cold. Perhaps a new spirit art would manifest. The heat was intense; Kurt's flames were overwhelming him, but he had to try.

Remembering the cold of the Tundra district, he called upon his mind to feel cold. To think cold thoughts. Suddenly his sword was starting to grow colder as if responding to Alex's feelings. He smirked at the spirit. "This is it, Kurt! FANGS OF FROST!" Alex swung his sword at the only opening he saw; Kurt was busy defending his left side but had his right wide open. Even though Kurt blocked the initial sword strike, it didn't stop the art. A massive explosion of ice was unleashed at the tip of Alex's blade, making shards of ice pierce through Kurt.

Kurt was knocked back into his own wall and was brought to his knees, panting heavily. "So this is your power...! It increases when others are in danger it seems. I yield. The day is yours, you are worthy Alex." Soon the wall of flames, as well as Wesley's cage, disappeared.

Alex the immediately rushed over to Wesley to see if he was okay and thankfully there wasn't much damage on the raccoon. "Stay calm. I only caused the sensation of strong heat. I had no intention of hurting him, but it brought out the desired effect."

"Yeah, he's right... I don't feel anything anymore, it was just a sensation. My body feels fine actually." Wesley confirmed.

"Phew... Alright, that's good to hear." Alex nodded as he walked back to Kurt. "You were amazing. Though, I felt like as if you were just toying with me."

"It was just a trial, my young pup. I just needed to test you and make sure you were ready to accept my spirit. If you would like, perhaps, I can test you further once you have gotten stronger. But for now, you've earned the right to forge me into your blade." Kurt smiled as his body turned into a red light. The wolf warrior lost his form and soon appeared as a hammer laid on the ground. A voice rang out. "Now open your mind and your spirit, and then strike me into your blade. Feel my knowledge imprint into your soul."

Alex nodded and put his rusty blade onto the ground, grabbing Kurt's hammer form in his paw. It was surprisingly light despite the shape it took, and he held the hilt of his sword, readying himself to strike his own blade. Taking a deep breath, he swung down on his sword, the sound of iron ringing out. Visions of a fierce battlefield entered his mind, the smell of smoke and blood entered his nose, he could hear the screams of battle. Were these Kurt's memories? Alex wondered as he continued to strike his soul weapon. He caught a glimpse of Kurt running up and confronting another figure in the distance. But before he could see any more, the sensation got too intense, and he yelled as the hammer flew out of his paws.

"Enough! Your soul can't temper much more. It needs to mature before I can impart more of my power! Behold, your sword has been tempered and sharpened!" Kurt said as he regained his original form.

Alex looked in awe as he grasped upon the blade. It glowed in a red hue, and all signs of cracking and rust were gone. It was a totally new weapon. He felt an intense flame burning in his heart and soul. Was this what it meant to forge with another spirit? Alex felt warm as his weapon entered his body once again. "Thank you so much! I feel a lot better, like a piece of my that was lost has been replaced."

"Glad I could help!" Kurt said walking over and patting him on the head.

"I'm not a kid anymore geez…" Alex said, blushing and involuntarily wagged his tail.

"Well, I need a rest after that fight... If you need me, I'll be resting in my fang earrings." Kurt said yawning before turning into a ball of light and entering the earrings once again. Alex picked it up and put it back in his pocket.

"Well. That was interesting. I think I learned a lot as well! And... I think I'll stick with you for a bit more. You are a very curious wolf indeed." Wesley smirked and held his paw out to initiate a pawshake.

Alex met it and smiled. "Thanks! I couldn't have done it without you."

The raccoon smiled back and nodded. "My pleasure." He then looked around the area, realizing that he still had no idea where they actually were. "So... How do we get back home again?" Wesley asked while scratching his head.

"Oh, right…" Alex said and took the earrings back out. "Hey, Kurt, take us back to where you kidnapped us.

Kurt's voice rang from the earrings. "Sorry, used all my power in that fight... You guys are big boys. Find your own way back! Good night!"

"Ugh... Great. Looks like we have to walk around until we find a gate back home. I hope the others aren't too worried about me." Alex sighed as he started advancing..

"I have a feeling this is going to take a while…" Wesley muttered as he played around with his new camera, following his new acquaintance from behind closely.


	33. Hidden War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth of the primal spirit's involvement comes to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Been way to long but I had a bout of depression and lack of will to write for months. Most of it was due to work related stress and having to constantly travel to different states. Anyway enough about that. To those who still read this thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy
> 
> A/N 2: Thanks to KeyToTruth12 as always for beta reading! Go check out his awesome fanfic called "Beyond the Distance" on Fanficition as well. Wesley belongs to him.

Chapter 33: Hidden War

Nick and Judy soon reached the location of Kevin and Sarah who were sitting on a bench under shade from the hot sunny weather. The air conditioning in the police cruiser was on full blast once they entered the desert-like district. Nick was reluctant to get out of the car, but they had to investigate. Judy on the other paw placed the vehicle in park and walked over to greet the two.

"Hey, you two, so what exactly happened here?" Judy greeted and asked the cheetah and doe at the same time cheerfully. Nick followed suit out of the car after loosening the tie of his police uniform due to the heat.

"Oh, hey guys!" Kevin greeted back with a similar tone, "Well, I couldn't see it from far away, but Alex and that raccoon stalker ran into the alley, and then a bright light came and whisked them away in broad daylight." He explained enthusiastically. "There wasn't even a gate where we could follow them to."

"Yeah... I didn't know what we should do so I thought you two might be able to help." Sarah followed softly.

"They literally disappeared into thin air huh…" Judy thought out loud. "...there might still be some clues. Let's split up and search the area!" The cute bunny said, jumping up and smiling despite the heat.

As the group searched, Alex and Wesley continued their trek, hoping to find a gateway back to the real world. They were nearly out of the forest and heading for the Unity Bridge. A large bridge that leads into Zootopia from the west. It was built during the founding of Zootopia and was well maintained throughout the years. "Ugh, I'm so tired... Why did Kurt have to send us all the way here?" Alex said panting, his pace getting slower from all the walking.

"Walking is good for you, supposedly. Perhaps he wanted to train you?" Wesley speculated, slowing down his own pace to match Alex's.

"Those sick, twisted, exercise freaks... I'll get them back one day..." Alex mumbled an empty threat.

"Anyway, this place sure is odd. Normally I see cars all over this bridge, but now it's just empty... Like one of those Apocalypse movies where the world is devoid of life." The raccoon said in a sorrowful tone.

"Yeah, we only meet a few intelligent spirits, but most animals have weak spiritual energy, so they just appear as those blue wisps floating around. Also, those movies give me nightmares, don't remind me of them…" Alex sighed, trying not to think about it.

"Oh? I see..." The latter nodded subconsciously, "I'm quite a fan of movies, honestly. Though, I admit those disaster movies leave something to be desired." He looked away and snapped pictures of the nearby wisps overlooking the scenery. The developing film said nothing of interest, the energy was so weak not even his camera recognized what animals the wisps once were. Curiously letters appeared in the far distance of one of the pictures with the word 'gate'. It looked like it was at the end of the bridge. "Oh, this photo... It has the word gate on it, and it looks like it's at the other end of the bridge."

Alex's ears perked up. "At the other end of the bridge? It's still a few miles away, but let's hurry. It would be bad to get attacked here. Your camera lacks combat potential, and I'm pretty drained myself."

The two picked up the pace and started heading towards the clue pointed out in the picture. As they got closer, the gate began to come into view. The wolf and raccoon promptly leaped into the gateway, making them land on the highway; but of course at the other end of the world. Sounds of cars honking suddenly heard and came to an abrupt start as the two seemed to appear out of thin air in the middle of the highway. A bunch of angry animals shouting the most horrible words at Alex and Wesley for almost causing an accident. Luckily no one was hurt in the incident, and they were able to get to a sidewalk.

"...wonder why there was a gate that leads right to traffic? Damn, that scared me…" Alex said, gasping for air, clutching his chest a bit.

"This place is a mess, and there are a lot of car accidents here... Perhaps those that died in car crashes caused that much spiritual connection to occur?" Wesley said while catching his breath as well.

"That... Actually makes sense. Wow, you are pretty smart Wesley." Alex smiled.

"Not just pretty smart, REALLY smart. Well regarding stuff like this, anyway. Part of my studies and such…" Wesley said, boasting a bit.

Alex's phone soon started blowing up with text messages and missed calls as the signal returned to his cell phone. He dialed the number and got a hold of Kevin.

"Alex? Alex! Thank god you are alright! Hey, guys, I have Alex on the phone!"The person at the other end of the phone could be heard shouting in joy. Alex assumed that Kevin and the others were searching for him in Sahara Square.

"Sorry, I'll explain everything, but Wesley and I are alright."

"Wesley? You mean that raccoon that tricked me?"Kevin exclaimed.

"It wasn't a trick, that lunk voluntarily gave the information," Wesley said, having heard the loud cheetah's voice from the phone.

"Well anyway... What we went through was exhausting. But we need to talk about what happened, where should we meet up?" Alex asked.

"Might I suggest Zootopia University? We can borrow one of the empty classrooms. Most classes should be over for the day until the nocturnal classes start." Wesley offered an idea.

"That sounds good. Kevin, let's meet up at Zootopia University's main campus. And be sure to bring the others, too!" Alex explained.

"Got it, see you there!"He hung up as Alex and Wesley walk to the nearest bus stop, their destination set.

Alex and Wesley were the last to arrive, the bus hit some traffic caused by a backup from their 'appearance' earlier. The historic buildings came into view as they exited the bus. Tons of different animals of all shapes and sizes were seen walking around the campus. Even though he didn't attend this school, Alex felt a sense of nostalgia for the scenery. Light greenery all around the central area where they were supposed to meet as students were relaxing and enjoying the pleasant afternoon. Then in the distance, he saw some familiar faces, most of which were very eager to see him.

"Alex! You're okay!" Kevin exclaimed and ran up as quick as his cheetah paws could, hugging him tightly in the end.

"G-gah...! It's g-good to see you again, now... Let go…" Alex demanded as he felt uncomfortable. Sarah, Nick, and Judy walked up as well to them as well.

"I'm Wesley, good to meet you, officers." The raccoon greeted himself to Nick and Judy.

"I tried explaining as much as I could to him on the way, but he is spiritually awakened now," Alex said, nodding.

"Oh wow, you must have been through a lot. Officer Judy Hopps here, and this is my partner, Nick Wilde," she said in her usual upbeat voice.

"Yo," Nick said as he took a bite of a strawberry pawpsicle that he had to stop and get on the way.

"Now that we're all here, let's head inside, and we can talk more in the classroom you mentioned earlier," Sarah suggested, and the group hastily made their way inside.

Finding the empty room, they filled Wesley in on any missing details and introduced themselves properly. Sarah and Kevin were a little weary, but since the three of them were students they soon found common interests and learned that they were in some classes together and never knew.

Suddenly the earrings Alex had started to glow. "Looks like you guys are all gathered. It's my turn to start."The voice rang out into the classroom. "Alex, please put me on the table. Someone else, please turn off the lights, and close the blinds along with locking the door."

"Where is that voice coming from? The earrings?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, this is Kurt. His spirit is residing in these earrings. He's the one I told you who whisked us away and had me fight him." Alex said, still trying to forget the soreness in his body from the brawl earlier. Kevin eventually locked the door and got the lights, and they all sat around the glowing earrings.

"As you might've guessed, I am Kurt of the Flames, a legendary wolf spirit. A pleasure to meet you all." The voice echoed more, "What I'm going to tell you now is very urgent. The current situation is growing dire, and the spirit realm is on the verge of collapse. You lot are too involved in this mess now, so we have no choice but to ask all of you to help us out."

Alex looked worried but spoke up. "So then, please tell us everything. We know that members of Phantom were given spirit weapons, but why would the primals stand by while they run amok?"

"Uh, well... I'll start from the beginning. It'll be easier that way."Kurt cleared his voice before continuing. "There are three realms. The physical realm; where we are now, the spirit realm; where you guys visited earlier, and the primal realm; where the primal spirits reside. Each realm has some influence over the other, but it's hard for them based on the distance. There is some overlap which makes things easier, but those are few a far between. It's how some people see ghosts or haunted houses and the like. That's the cause of overlaps between the physical and spirit realm. With me so far?"Kurt asked.

"Mhmm, these all seems legit. That fits our current theories about the paranormal according to my studies, but to actually see the place in the flesh was a sight to behold." Wesley commented.

"Good. So, the primal realm is where incredibly powerful spirits of animals, the first ones ever to exist reside. They manage the flows of their species souls that have ascended and moved on and guide them to their next life in the physical realm. A long time ago, while life was starting on this planet, the realms were much closer together. The primals had a large amount of influence on the lives of the living. Predatory and prey instincts governed the world, but then... Evolution occurred. As animals evolved, the need to rely on their primal instincts dwindled and so did the need to hurt each other. Predator and Prey learned to live with the other, and as Predators evolved to not eat prey species a sense of harmony was achieved. Animals no longer needed primal guidance and thus the realms drifted apart. While most of the primals were happy that their generations of children were growing in intelligence some lamented that the had no way to influence the course of their lives anymore. Thus factions were formed. Those who wanted to keep with progress and those who wanted to regress."

"No way, it can't be... So the faction of primals that are supporting Phantom... Are the ones that want to regress?" Judy asked.

"Bingo, Bunny. Those primals managed to get a hold of animals that held powerful spirits and gave them immense knowledge and power. If nothing is done, they will destroy the boundary and get to influence the world and animals as they once were in ancient times. Phantom will get what they want: a world were the people with strong spirits survive regardless of species, and the weaker ones will be controlled and revert back to their unintelligent savage selves."

"This is insane... To think there was a hidden war in the primal realm." Sarah lamented.

"How would they break the boundary anyway?" Alex asked.

"There are seals scattered throughout Zootopia. This city has a large spiritual connection thanks to all the different species of animals gathered here from all the different biomes. One of the seals was destroyed some decades ago which allowed those Primals to take their plan into action. We have found out they are going after the seal in the rainforest district soon."

"We're so powerless against them, I mean... How do we stand a chance?" Kevin asked.

"The primals on the side of progress are gathering up legendary souls like myself to train you lot. You will pass trials similar to Alex has and forge your spirit weapons into more powerful forms. Then you will be able to fight back against them."Kurt replied.

"We have to stop these guys. We can't have them do whatever they want to this city." Nick said, furrowing his brow with determination.

"Yeah, I absolutely agree. We have to stop them and put and end to their crimes." Judy nodded and thought about how badly she needed to arrest that psychopath Alice.

"I don't know if I'll be of much use, but count me in," Sarah said nervously.

"I may not be able to fight yet, but I'll support you guys. I have my reasons to anyway, same as you guys." Wesley chimed in.

"Alright, this is gonna awesome! Let's do some training!" Kevin jumped up and cheered.

"I have to get the other half of my soul back... I have to defeat Alpha and Phantom. Let's get ready everyone." Alex nodded.

"Oooh, nice! Sounding like a leader there, Alex!" Judy said playfully.

Alex blushed with embarrassment. "N-No, I'm just…"

Judy chuckled as did everyone before Kurt continued his speech, "It seems that you're all set to go, but unfortunately I've used all my energy to talk. The other legendary spirits are going to meet us at a site outside the city tomorrow. I suggest you all get some rest as well, and I will tell you the location tomorrow. Good night."The earrings stopped glowing soon after. The group decided to go back to their homes and get some rest. Alex, Judy, and Nick put in for a vacation day tomorrow and luckily the three college students have a day with no classes tomorrow. What trials will they be put through? They wondered what kind of legendary spirits they were going to meet as they eventually fell asleep.

Later that night, somewhere on the outskirts of the city in the spirit realm…

"Well, here we are guys… A bit early but, there is Zootopia."

"Too bad you aren't alive anymore, bet there are plenty of rich folks you can rob there eh, Robin?"

"Seems I have quite the reputation, I'm flattered. Anyway, this place is secure right?"

"As the prince of the forest, I do not sense any hostile spirits here."

"Perfect. Then let's relax a bit, we are in for quite the day tomorrow."

The group of legendary spirits relaxed as they waited at the designated area, wondering how best to test the worth of the ones chosen by the primals.


	34. Legendary Clash Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Training Arc Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been away for a while. I want to see this thing through to the end but it was hard for me to find motivation to continue until recently. Updates will be hopefully less infrequent than before. Please leave me feedback as it helps motivate me to keep writing. Thanks!

Alex woke up without much of a fuss. He slept as soon as he got back to his apartment due to the exhaustion from yesterday's events. He kept going through the story that Kurt told him yesterday over and over in his mind, trying to make sense of it. The wolf felt trapped and caught in a long chain of events that he cannot escape from. Not that he wanted to, he already invested way too much into this and want to see it through to the end.

Along the way to the town, he saw Kevin snoozing and drooling on the window, Wesley was sitting next to him looking annoyed at the snoring that was coming from the cheetah's maw. Sarah was sitting quietly next to Alex looking a bit nervous, but otherwise just on her social media looking at flowers and cute things. The wolf however just stared out the window of the bus, watching the road and the scenery go by. He then had a curious thought; perhaps he should learn more about the legendary spirit Kurt that he met recently. If he indeed was legendary, it would make sense if he was in recorded history in some way. He had nothing else to do anyway, so the brown furred nerd unlocked his phone with the flick of his claw and opened the search engine to type in Kurt's name along with various keywords. He found no relevant results, to his surprise. Most of it was links to fan art of various characters named Kurt or someone named Kurt on a self-help forum. How old was this spirit anyway? Was he so old that it was before history had been properly recorded? He seemed pretty intelligent and knew of words or phrases from this time period... But perhaps there was an explanation for that as well. "Ugh..." he sighed, looking frustrated before going back to look out the window. They were getting close to their destination anyway, there was no point in getting worked up.

Wesley finally snapped and elbowed Kevin in the gut when the big cheetah's drool fell on him. Alex and Sarah chuckled as the two bickered, and soon the bus reached their destination. Nick and Judy were waiting outside the bus stop, casually chatting with each other before they noticed the four mammals that were disembarking the bus.

"Took you guys long enough," Nick smirked.

"If only a certain wolf had a car... They would sell him a big enough one for all of us to fit in…" Kevin said in a teasing way as he gently nudged Alex.

"Driving is the worst... It makes me sleepy…" He replied, immediately yawning loudly indicating his tiredness.

"Lack of rest aside, let's get to the point here. Where are we supposed to go again?" Wesley asked.

Alex nodded in response and took out the fang earrings from his pocket. A voice then suddenly echoed in their minds, "There is a gate in the nearby cemetery a mile north of here. Meet me there."

They all looked at each other and nodded silently, and with that, the group headed north following the instructions of their legendary spirit guide.

"So Alex! Tell us what it was like to train with the legendary spirit again, wanna get prepared!" Judy said excitedly.

"It honestly didn't feel like training at all... He threatened to end my life if I failed. So I'm gonna assume that this will be very dangerous... You can all stop now, and…"

"Stop it, Alex. I know what you're gonna say and it's not gonna happen. So just leave it to us, we'll be fine!" Judy said, smiling in a reassuring way. Alex couldn't help but smile back, some animals do have infectious smiles.

It didn't take long to reach the cemetery, the gate to the Spirit World was in plain sight. They promptly jumped in there together, instantly taking them to the parallel world that was threatening their own. As soon as they regained their balance, they finally took notice of Kurt, standing in his full form, tribal markings, shirtless, toned... Alex felt insecure just by being near him.

"Welcome! I'm glad to see you all here. Your legendary spirits are waiting inside the forest. You must sense where they are and find them, as that is your first task. Alex, be a dear and escort the deer, would you?" He chuckled to himself while the rest of them groaned at the bad joke. "Only for her protection. From what I've gathered, she hasn't learned any method of attack yet. The rest of you are on your own. Raccoon, you will come with me. Since you only have half of your soul weapon, I'll guide you to your legendary spirit. Good luck!"

"Stay safe everyone," Alex said to the group.

"We'll be back before you know it!" Judy smiled.

"Yeah, this will be no sweat!" Kevin boasted.

"Another day, another adventure, eh?" Nick said before setting foot into the forest ahead. The fox felt something calling to him closeby.

"Later guys. I hope I'll get a chance to support you." Wesley said.

"So, shall we go? You take the lead Sarah." Alex said nervously.

"Y-yes... I feel it's this way." Sarah replied just as nervously.

Kurt and Wesley watched as the rest of the gang entered the forest in different locations. Kurt folded his arms and smiled, "If that runt of a wolf thought he was going to have just an escort mission, heh, he's in for a surprise. I hope he'll love the extra special training..."

"Extra... Special? Just what are you plotting now?" Wesley asked inquisitively.

"You'll find out soon, squirt. It'll be fun... To watch!" He said and laughed at himself, leaving Wesley in a slightly confused but the latter only shook his head. "Now," he continued, "let's get you to meet your spirit," Kurt said and grabbed the raccoon's arm before bursting into a sprint. Wesley flailed helplessly in the air due to the wolf's speed and strength. In moments Wesley found himself already in a different place; he was standing on a hill overlooking the forest. A small raccoon wearing a blue hat and shirt awaited them.

"So... You are the second candidate? You can call me... Cooper…" the raccoon said.

The wolf then placed Wesley gently on the ground, his head still spinning from the sudden rush of wind. He would yell at the dumb wolf but it would be fruitless. It was more important to focus on what was in front of him.

"Cooper, huh? I'm Wesley. A pleasure to meet you." He introduced himself to the other raccoon in front of him.

"Likewise," Cooper said as he got up and examined Wesley. "Ugh... Our primal spirit seems to be a fickle one. I never thought there would be two candidates. I can't reveal much about your counterpart but the group he's in now is giving me bad vibes. I'd rather cast my lot in with you but it's up to the boss to decide. Still interesting that your weapon became a camera." Cooper said as he manifested his own weapon, a hooked cane, "This is the weapon you will be up against in the future. His skill is quite impressive with it."

"A cane...? How am I supposed to go up against it with just a camera?" Wesley asked.

"Your camera has the ability to see weaknesses, correct? You yearn to see the truth and that camera is your ticket to this. Spirits like that wolf and I are an open book, but if you want to see any information on living creatures... That would be much more difficult. Though you seem like a sharp young fellow, so I'm sure you can figure it out one way or another. Seek out your friends in the forest and if you can gather any data on your friends, you'll officially pass my trial. It will be a big advantage if they knew more about the details of their powers and only you can reveal that to them. Understand?"

Wesley was following along intently. "Yes I got it, I just have to find a way to get a spirit photo data from a living person."

"Correct! Come back to me when you finally have one. You have until the last of your friends finish and meet back at the gate. Good luck!" Cooper said.

The two bid their goodbyes and started walking back down to where they came from first. "You want a lift back down?" Kurt said and smiled at the raccoon.

"No way you crazy wolf... I'll just walk." He exclaimed and sighed, not wanting to experience the same sensation again.

Meanwhile, inside the forest... Nick finally found the one he was looking for. He wore a green tunic and a green feathered cap, the taller fox introduced himself, "Greetings. You may call me Robin Hood. I'm sure you've already heard of me, am I right?"

"Hmm, Robin Hood… Robin Hood… Nope, doesn't ring any bells." Nick said, feigning ignorance.

"Haha, nice joke. Even kits who are not even two years old have heard of my tales," he said proudly.

"Yeah, yeah, the legendary outlaw Robin Hood, champion of justice… Nick Wilde, an officer who goes after outlaws. 'Tis a strange twist of fate, is it not?" Nick mused.

"Indeed. I'm surprised that a fox with a history such as yourself managed to join law enforcement. I'm sure it's a riveting story." Robin smirked.

"Ah, so you do know of my past huh? I guess I have your stories to thank for those experiences. It actually was your tales that made me want to join the Junior Ranger Scouts. But, well... You know how that turned out." He said nonchalantly.

Robin chuckled, "You then embraced your instincts and became a con artist for many years. Though I cannot abide that you took money from others for yourself. I took from the rich and gave to the poor, whereas you took from whoever was gullible enough."

"Hey, I was poor too. You don't know what it's like to be on your own in the city. I did what I have to do to survive." Nick spat back, creating a short silence between the two.

"...fair enough." Robin cut the tension before continuing, "Well then, shall we get started? My trial for you will be a game! Sounds simple enough for you?" Robin said with a slight smirk.

"A game...? Heh, perfect. I can't wait to wipe that smug look on your face." Nick smiled.

"Haha, look who's talking! The game is simple, we'll play hide and seek! I will give you some time to hide, and if I shoot you with an arrow and hit you then it'll be a loss for you. If you somehow hit me with an arrow, then you win! You'll lose as well if you leave the forest, so... Don't. After I count to thirty the game will begin. Ya better start hiding now." Robin explained before quickly manifesting his bow and closes his eyes, not giving Nick any time for rebuttals as he begins to count out loud.

Nick's mind played through several ways to approach this. The game will begin once he was done counting. What if as soon as he did, Nick could just shoot Robin point blank? He would win instantly and didn't need to hide at all. Considering it to be the easiest option Nick stepped slowly towards Robin. Unfortunately, he heard the grass rustled as Nick edged closer towards him, so he raised his bow and fired an arrow with near-deadly accuracy, cleanly missing Nick but the shot was close enough to freeze him in his tracks.

"Very sneaky Nick... But I've demonstrated how fast I can fire an arrow. If you think that will give you a quick victory you are dead wrong. Ten… Nine…"

Subtracting the time he took to speak from his countdown, he then continued doing it without a pause. Nick panicked and ran deeper into the forest while trying to think of a way to turn the tables. He knew he was outmatched in terms of skills with a bow. He also had no way of hiding his scent, or rather, his spirit energy. The powers Robin Hood held were unknown and perhaps he had different methods of tracking. Nick eventually noticed that the other fox had stopped counting, so it was time for him to wing it and bet on the odds. He hid in a bush as he held his breath and waited, the gears in his head turning as the game began.

"Alex, there he is up ahead!" Sarah said as the two ran up to the large buck that stood tall in the forest clearing.

"Greetings, young doe... I am Bambi, prince of the forest. Must you have brought this unsightly creature before me as well?" He said, referring to Alex that caused him to shyly back away from Sarah and waited while leaning on a nearby tree..

"I'm Sarah, but please don't speak like that about Alex! That's not nice..."

"I don't blame him, Sarah. After all, you know what he dealt with right? Bambi was the savior of a forested kingdom, being called the Prince of the forest afterward. He was a meek fawn who rose through the ranks and led the defense against invading predators... Especially wolves. They claimed victory after victory until the the predator army had enough and decided set the forest on fire. Bambi had to sacrifice himself in the fire to save what remained of the kingdom." Alex gave a history lesson.

"R-really? The stories I heard as a kid didn't include that part about the wolves and the fire…" Sarah said, looking a bit shocked.

"I don't think kids would like to hear that the hero of the story got burned alive. History says that he lived during the second large-scale predator-prey war that occurred in this country. I'm sure his story brought hope to the prey youth that they can one day be strong protectors. But still, his death was tragic."

"That creature is correct. I've defeated countless of his kind and others to protect the forest. To even be friends with such a thing, I can't believe it…"

"Well... I used to hate wolves too. But Alex is different! I may not trust all predators yet, but he showed me that you shouldn't judge people by their appearances!"

"Is that how you see it? Perhaps I should show you his true appearance. Let us begin your trial... Defeat that wolf in combat!" The buck announced, taking the latter two by surprise.

"But I could never!" Sarah shouted back.

Alex's ears perked up at the type of challenge. "Hold on, I refuse! I won't lay a hand on Sarah!"

"Then this will be easy for Sarah... Look closely, see this wolf for what he truly is; a monster who wants to devour everything!" Bambi exclaimed before letting loose a wave of energy that covered Sarah, her eyes becoming dulled as if she was being put under a spell.

The doe shook her head and rubbed her eyes for a second before turning his view to Alex. She gasped and took a step back in surprise; the Alex in front of her was turned into a large feral beast, his fangs bare and was walking closer towards her. "Alex!? No, it can't be! It's true! You are a monster...! Stay back!" She warned the wolf almost hysterically.

Of course, Alex was still the same geeky self as always and was confused with Sarah's statements. "Huh? What's wrong Sarah? Calm down!" He tried to reassure her.

Unfortunately for Sarah, his actual words did not reach her at all, "You look so tasty... I'm so hungry!" is what she heard instead.

Sarah took out her umbrella and with fear in her heart, she charged at Alex and whacked him as hard as she could. The umbrella's impact was like a metal bat and it flung him a few feet away as a result, causing his shoulder to bleed slightly from the damage she made.

"GAH!" He exclaimed loudly in pain and clutched his injured shoulder as he struggled to get up. "Bambi! What have you done!?" Alex yelled and summoned his soul weapon to his side. His injured shoulder made it difficult to wield the sword properly.

"I am merely showing her my own view of the world. Now, what will you do, you pathetic creature?" He retorted back at the wolf, full of coldness and mockery. He gritted his teeth and focused his vision at the doe in front of him, thinking of any possible solutions to tackle the situation at hand that was suddenly thrown at him; and he had to act fast.

While all of this was happening, Kurt had been watching the ensuing battle between Alex and Sarah on top of a hill far from them. "Heh, everything is set into place... Now, let's see what you are made of, pup!"

To be continued….


End file.
